Alternate Attractions
by Follow the Stray
Summary: After Chi-chi and Yamcha run away together, Goku and Bulma have only each other to lean on
1. Prologue 1

(1)"Today I tell him! Today I tell Goku how I feel!" 16-year-old Bulma passed back and forth in her room nervously.  
"You go girl!" Her little friend Pwar cheered.  
Bulma smiled at her, "Well, you wanted a good going away present, this should shock and surprise you."  
"Not really," Pwar pretended to yawn, "I've known you liked Goku since the day you met him."  
"Yeah, he's something else," Bulma drooled then suddenly got nervously as she thought of that great smile of 18-year-old Goku, "what if… what if he doesn't like me the same way? We've been friends for like… forever! Almost as long as you and me have been friends! What if he's so humiliated he doesn't talk to me again! I couldn't bare it! I couldn't!"  
Pwar smacked Bulma in the face, "Chill out girl! He loves ya!"  
"Really?" Bulma smiled.  
"Of course," Pwar smiled.  
  
"Here I go," Bulma started off to where Goku and her were meeting that night. As she walked down the street to the bus stop she thought of when Goku and her had met.  
It was a real cloudy day, but Bulma had decided to go roller-blading anyway. She must have been 8 at the time, anyway, she tried skating backwards and bumped into a big slimy blue fish! She turned around and screamed as she saw the giant thing.  
"Watch out will ya!" A boy stood up on top of the fish with his hands on his hips and his tail swaying back and forth angrily.  
Bulma screamed again as she saw the boy's tail and fell on her butt.  
The boy raised one brow and jumped down from the fish in front of the girl, "You scream funny."  
Bulma's eyes narrowed as her fear turned to anger, "Well… you look funny!"  
"I look funny!" The boy exclaimed, "look at you! You have skinny little knees and a weird looking face! I don't look like that!"  
"Duh! I'm a girl dummy!" Bulma got up and dusted off her little skirt.  
"A girl?" The boy raised one eye brow again as he continued to look at Bulma, "What's that? Some kinda alien?"  
"No!" Bulma shouted, "What planet are you from, ya dummy!?"  
"My name's not dummy, shrimp, my name's Goku," The boy spat.  
"Well, my name's not shrimp! I'm Bulma," Bulma crossed her arms and slipped on her roller blades causing her to fall on her butt again.  
Goku burst out laughing, "Bulma! That's a funny name! You sure are clumsy Bulma."  
"My name's not funny! And I'm not clumsy!" Bulma stood up again, "You have the funny name!"  
"Sure," Goku smirked and turned back to his fish. As he turned Bulma saw something flash on a chain under Goku's shirt. She could've sworn it was a Dragonball!  
"Hey! Wait!" Bulma skated over, "Can I see your chain?"  
"Why?" Goku winced at her.  
"Can I just see it pretty, pretty please?" Bulma begged with her hands together.  
"Yeah sure," Goku pulled his chain out. It was a Dragonball!  
Bulma screamed as she grabbed the Dragonball and choked Goku, "OHMYGOD! OHMYGOD! OHMYGOD! Can I have it?"  
"No!" Goku pulled away and started off dragging his fish behind, Bulma chased after him.  
"Why not?"  
"It's all I have left of my grandpa," Goku stopped and suddenly his eyes darkened, "He was squashed by a monkey."  
"Oh, that's sad." Bulma looked down.  
Suddenly Goku looked up and at Bulma, "I'll tell you what, if you can find me someone to help me find out what killed my grandpa I'll give it to ya."  
"Deal, I'll help," Bulma smiled.  
"You? But you're so scrawny," Goku stared at her in disbelief.  
"Hey!" Bulma snapped angrily, "You better watch how you speak to me if you want to find out about your Grandpa!"  
"Same here," Goku started pulling the big fish away, "if you want this… what did you call it? This Dragonball."  
Bulma sighed and followed Goku.  
After many, many adventures they became best friends. Nothing could separate them. Well, except when Pwar and Bulma had their ladies night outs, Goku decided he'd much rather stay at home for that. Besides, Bulma and Pwar had been friends since the day they were born (same time, same place) and Goku felt that he shouldn't try and get in the way.  
On a sadder note, Goku never did find out what happened to his grandfather, but met many people his grandfather knew and got to know his Grandpa better through them. There was Master Roshi, the Ox-King, Jackie Chun, and a few other acquaintances on the way.  
But now Pwar was leaving to start a new life in New York City for the remainder of High School and college and all Bulma had now was Goku.  
Bulma walked into the fast food restaurant practicing her lines.  
Pwar suddenly got nervous, "Um… didn't he say he would meet us at um… that other place?"  
Bulma looked at Pwar, "What other place?"  
"You know… the place…" Pwar stammered.  
"No, it was here," Bulma turned her head to the tables, "We always eat here, it's the only place that let's Goku eat all he likes without complaint."  
Pwar flew in front of Bulma's face, "No! It was definitely the OTHER place!"  
"Pwar!" Bulma pushed Pwar out the way, then suddenly, all the feeling in her face numbed as the blood stopped flowing. She froze right in her place, feeling like stone as she stared in front of her. There Goku was playing kissy-face with some girl other than her. Maybe she could run before he sees her, she thought.  
"Hey Bulma! C'mon over! I want'cha to meet someone!" Goku managed to get his face free of the raven haired girl's lips long enough to speak.  
Bulma came over with Pwar and sat down stiffly at the table, "H-Hi."  
"Why are you actin' all shy all of a sudden? It's only me," Goku laughed and directed Bulma's attention to the girl sitting next to him, "this is my new girlfriend Chi-chi. Chi-chi this is my best friend Bulma."  
"Nice to meet you, Goku has told me SO much about you." Chi-chi smiled shaking Bulma's hand after she tucked her loose hair behind her ears. Bulma could see something in that grin of hers, but couldn't put her finger on it.  
"Really?" Bulma shook Chi-chi's hand with a false smile across her face, "He hasn't told me anything about you."  
Chi-chi started to laugh, "That's so cute! She's so honest!"  
~ Trust me lady, if I were honest, you'd know it. ~ Bulma winced at Chi-chi. Chi-chi was probably around 20, it's the only reason Bulma could figure she looked at her like a child.  
"Oh yeah and this is Pwar, Pwar this is Chi-chi," Goku told Chi-chi and looked at Pwar.  
"Very nice to meet you," Pwar shook Chi-chi's hand tightly.  
"Wow, that's quite a handshake kitty," Chi-chi smiled nervously as she pulled her hand away.  
"Kitty?" Pwar muttered.  
Goku felt negative vibes and exclaimed, "Well um… I'm sure hungry! Why don't we order now?"  
"Sure," Everyone replied.  
"So…" Bulma tried to break the ice as everyone ate in silence, "What do you… uh… do?"  
Chi-chi looked at her, "Well, I'm applying for colleges at this point, I've been working as a typist for this manufacturing company, but I really want to go to college."  
"Well, that's nice," Bulma swallowed hard on her rice ball forgetting to chew. She looked at Goku, "So… how long has it been?"  
"About a week now," Goku smiled warmly. Bulma tried not to blush, she always did that when she saw him smile.  
"A week and two days," Chi-chi corrected beaming, "three hours, forty-five minutes, and thirteen seconds… fourteen seconds… fifteen seconds…"  
It was then Bulma decided this girl talked way to much for her own good.  
  
After the lunch everyone said their good byes and Goku agreed to take Chi-chi home.  
"Well, it was nice seeing you guys again, oh and I'll pick you up tomorrow at 7 to bring you to the air port," Goku waved and walked Chi-chi down the street to his car.  
Bulma sighed and started in the opposite direction of Goku and his new girlfriend.  
Pwar followed her, "You should've told him."  
"He has a girlfriend Pwar," Bulma replied firmly.  
"I'm telling you, if you had just told him he would've dropped the bimbo and would've committed his love to you!" Pwar babbled.  
"It's over Pwar," Bulma mumbled, "we were just meant to stay friends I guess."  
Pwar sighed and shook her head.  
"So are you done packing?" Bulma changed the subject a few blocks down.  
"The only way I could be done packing is if I pack my entire house, but that's not happening so I'm almost completely packed."  
"I'll send you anything you left behind," Bulma offered.  
"Sounds great." Pwar nodded.  
  
*DING DONG* The bell rang around 6:45 the next morning. Bulma ran downstairs with a toothbrush rammed in her mouth.  
"Who's there Bulma dear?" Mrs. Briefs called as Bulma opened the door.  
"Hey," Goku smirked. Bulma blushed embarrassed as she took the toothbrush out her mouth and wiped the tooth paste foam from her lips.  
"It's Goku mom!" Bulma called as she let Goku in.  
"I'm kinda early I see." Goku looked around and smiled at Bulma.  
"S'okay." Bulma smiled up at him.  
"Now look at you," Goku chuckled as he looked at Bulma. She had one of her socks rolled up all the way, one folded neatly. Her short overalls were unbutton on one side and her wrinkly T-shirt hung out. Her hair puffed up as if she just woke up.  
"Shut up Goku," Bulma said, "I just woke up 5 minutes ago."  
"Oh, in that case, good work," Goku nodded and helped button Bulma's overalls.  
"You're not my dad ya know," Bulma blushed annoyed as he adjusted the strap.  
"Really?" Goku laughed. Bulma scowled at him and disappeared into the upstairs bathroom.  
Pwar pushed her luggage down the stairs and flew down on the rail, "Ready!"  
Goku stared at the two huge trunks of stuff, "Gee, think you packed enough?"  
"No," Pwar replied, "I still have five more trunks worth of stuff left, but these are the essentials."  
"Right, the essentials," Goku nodded and took the trunks out to his car without haste.  
"Ready!" Bulma slide down the stairs on the rail as her father came out his office.  
"Now what did I tell you about that Bulma?" Mr. Briefs looked at her.  
"I know, I know, but dad! It's my last time I'm ever going to see Pwar for a long, long time!" Bulma whined.  
"And that makes it okay for you to slide down my rail because…" Dr. Briefs looked at her waiting for an answer.  
"I love you too daddy," Bulma kissed her dad on the cheek and pulled Pwar out the house, "Let's go Pwar before you miss your flight!"  
  
"So, how do you guys like Chi-chi?" Goku asked breaking the silence of the ride, "you can be honest."  
"Well, she's pretty…and um… smart…" Bulma started lying through her teeth.  
"Ugly and stupid you mean," Pwar snapped.  
"Really Pwar?" Goku looked at Pwar, "But Bulma said the exact opposite."  
Bulma blushed as Pwar looked at Goku, "Bulma thinks she's a buck-toothed weasel and an old fat cow who wouldn't know a dishwasher from an oven."  
"Really?" Goku looked at Bulma from the corner of his eye. She looked down.  
"She doesn't want her to steal you away from her," Pwar blurted.  
Goku stopped short, "Steal me away?"  
"Yeah." Pwar nodded.  
Bulma stared at her wide-eyed about to rip her head off.  
"Bulma," Goku took Bulma's hand in his and she blushed even more, "me having a new girlfriend doesn't change a thing! You're still my very best friend."  
Bulma lit up then looked down, "Yeah, I know, I'm your best friend."  
Bulma turned to the window and Goku started driving again.  
  
"Bye Pwar!" Goku and Bulma waved as Pwar disappeared down the airplane gate.   
"Well, I have to get going," Goku looked at Bulma, "I can drive you home if you want."  
"Aren't you going to wait to see the plane take off?" Bulma looked up at Goku hurt.  
Goku looked away and combed his hair back with his hand and scratched the back of his head, "I can't Bulma, I promised Chi-chi I'd have brunch with her and it's eight already. It's going to take me two hours to get back!"  
"I understand, I'll just stay here and catch a taxi," Bulma looked down, what she really wanted to say was, "How could you even say that? Pwar was our best friend and we might not ever see her again!"  
"Are you sure? Your parents won't mind?" Goku asked.  
"I'm sure," Bulma muttered as she nodded looking down.  
"Thanks kid, see ya," Goku hugged Bulma and left.  
Bulma walked over to the window and touched the glass as she looked at Pwar's plane.  
"Boyfriend goin' on a trip?" Someone asked from behind her. She jumped and turned around to see a boy around Goku's age, maybe older, sitting on top of the back of one of the waiting chairs with his feet on the seat. He had long hair for a boy and two scars on his face, one over his eye, the other across his other cheek, "sorry, didn't mean to scare you."  
"You didn't scare me," Bulma caught her breath, "just surprised me."  
"Yeah, same difference," the guy shrugged looking down at a woman's wedding ring, "so, who's on the plane?"  
"My friend, she's going to live in New York," Bulma came over and sat across from the man.  
He nodded uneasily, he looked as if he would cry, but concealed it quick.  
"Someone you know on the plane?" Bulma asked.  
"Oh me," The man looked up at Bulma then back at the ring, "Just my x-fiancee and her boyfriend #17."  
The man practically spit the name as he looked out at the plane then he looked at Bulma, "Since when do people name their kids after numbers anyways?"  
"I'm real sorry about that," Bulma shook her head then looked at the man, "my name's Bulma."  
"I'm Yamcha," The guy replied and gave Bulma the ring, "here Bulma you can have it."  
"But…" Bulma looked at Yamcha as he got up and started out the air port, but there was an announcement that the plane heading to New York was about to take off and Bulma couldn't miss it, she would find Yamcha later.  
She ran to the window and watched as the plane slowly, but surely took off. As soon as it disappeared she dodged after Yamcha.  
She ran out and saw him getting into a cab.  
"Wait!" she called and ran past the crowd of people and caught the door just as it was an inch to closing.  
"Need a ride?" Yamcha smiled at her.  
"Well no… actually yeah… but…" Bulma stuttered.  
"Get in," Yamcha moved over. Bulma hesitated and he insisted, "It's okay, get in. I know you've probably learned in school that you shouldn't do this, but there's a gun in my right pocket-"  
The taxi driver turned around wide-eyed and then closed his bullet proof window. Yamcha was exactly setting a very good impression for himself.  
"If I do anything," Yamcha assured her, "you can shoot me dead."  
Bulma didn't exactly approve of that plan, but finally she did get in and the cab drove off.  
"Now Bulma, what is it you want to tell me?" Yamcha looked at her.  
"Here," Bulma gave him the ring and he shook his head and gave it back, "But… it has real diamonds and blood rubies! It must be worth a lot!"  
"Obviously not enough, keep it," he sighed, "Now tell the taxi driver where you live."  
Bulma nodded and told the driver where to drop her off, then looked back at Yamcha and realized how good-looking he was. Almost as cute as Goku, almost.  
She meant to thank him for the ride when she blurted, "You're cute."  
As soon s she said that she slapped her hands over her mouth and turned beat red. He looked at her and smiled, "Thank you."  
Bulma muttered something and looked away, she wasn't even sure if they were even words. Then she thought, ~ Thank you? That sounds even worse then what I said! He probably did that on purpose so I wouldn't feel stupid. ~ Then she saw how red he had turned and decided, maybe she was wrong.  
The two talked a little bit after afterwards, but finally got to Bulma's house.  
"Hey," Yamcha rolled down the window an looked at Bulma.  
"Yeah?" Bulma turned around.  
"Maybe we can go out sometime," Yamcha said, "I mean, if your parents don't mind."  
Bulma smiled, "Sure."  
It didn't take long for the two to start dating or for Bulma to find out that Yamcha had powers like Goku did. Soon Yamcha became one of the Z-fighters and Bulma forgot her whole crush on Goku--- well, it wasn't as strong as before at least. 


	2. Prologue 2

(2) "So this is Earth," A rambunctious little Sayian boy, by the name of Prince Vegeta, spitted sourly as he looked out on to the view of Earth, "Why is it so… blue?"   
"When I ventured there years ago, I discovered that they don't receive there water from underground and that it's above ground," A voice came up on the speaker, it was Vegeta's elder Radditz, "it covers practically the whole planet."   
"Do the Earthlings live in the water?" Vegeta asked curiously, "and what are those green patches?"   
"The green patches are filled with what they call grass, it's not like our planet at all Prince Vegeta. And the Earthlings live on these lands of grass," Radditz explained.   
"Why most everything be so complicated with those dumb Earthlings?" The small boy crossed his arms and leaned back, "What happened to the patriot, Goku again? Didn't you tell us he turned not so patriotic towards his planet?"   
"Ah yes, my brother," Radditz replied, "An old Earth man brain washed the child so I killed him, I didn't have much time to stay, being that I had already filled out my Earth report, and the moon is only out once a month on their planet, so I didn't get to know how Goku was doing. Hopefully he remembered his true nature."   
"Didn't you say the most recent report on him showed he had a son?" Vegeta asked with his stern scowl on his face.   
"Oh yes, his son is believed to be around your age, if not the same," Radditz answered.   
"I've got a plan," Vegeta smirked.   
  
"Happy birthday dear Gohan! Happy birthday to you!" Everyone sang at little Gohan's birthday, "How old are you now? How old are you now? Hold old are now? How…"   
"Okay, just stop singing and let him speak," Goku said annoyed at all the singing.   
"I'm," Gohan thought for a moment, "eight years old!"   
"Yeah!" Everybody cheered.   
~ Wow, it's been seven years since Goku and Chi-chi got together, ~ Bulma thought with Yamcha's arm wrapped warmly around her neck, ~ and the same for me and Yamcha. We should be celebrating too… but… ~ Bulma looked at Yamcha with big innocent eyes, ~ It took Goku two years to purpose to Chi-chi… and Yamcha doesn't seem the least bit interested in marriage… even though I love him so much and he loves me… right? ~   
Yamcha smiled down at her with a puzzled look on why she was staring at him, "Uh… babe, Goku just asked you if you wanted cake."   
"Oh," Bulma blushed and looked at Goku holding a plate of cake staring at her. Bulma smiled and took it, "Yes, er, thanks."   
Just then Chi-chi began to yawn, "Hey, what's in this cake Lunch, it sure is making me sleepy."   
"I followed the ingredients exactly," Lunch yawned and sat down.   
Soon, everyone had fallen asleep. That's when two figures came into the house, one an adult holding a tank of sleeping glass, and other a small boy, both were wearing gas masks. It was Radditz and Vegeta.   
"There he is," Vegeta pointed at Gohan, his voice muffled by the mask.   
Radditz tossed the tank to the side and went over to Gohan as Vegeta taped a letter to the wall. Radditz kidnapped Gohan and, with Vegeta, left.   
  
"Ohh, look at the little half breed," Vegeta sneered as Radditz tossed the sleeping Gohan into a pod, "silk eh? He's too rich for his own good. Which probably means he's been spoiled and sheltered all his life."   
"You can tell all that by just looking at him, Prince Vegeta?" Radditz asked curiously.   
"That, that party he was having, and the clothes his mother wore," Vegeta explained, he was pretty intelligent for an eight-year-old.   
"Not Goku though," Radditz shook his head, "I know he hasn't forgotten, you could tell he was hiding something from those humans by the look in his eye.   
"Yes, yes," Prince Vegeta agreed with a nod and looked at Radditz, "speaking of which, you did remember what to write on the letter, right? It's almost 3:00."   
"I remember, on one side I was to write in our Sayian tongue," Radditz nodded and recited, " 'Goku, if you can read and understand this, you are still the Sayian patriot we sent here. These are your directions if you want your son to return to you; come today at 3:30pm (Earth time) to the Sunset Desert Regions. Bring no one, unless you want them dead. We must speak with you and afterwards we'll return your son to you.   
" 'If you are still the patriot we knew, you'd know that we mean no harm to either you or your son. Those Earthlings however—well—we can't promise we won't harm them.   
" 'Sincerely, Prince Vegeta & Second Class Sayian Radditz (your brother)'" Radditz finished.   
"Yes, and the English side?" Vegeta asked.   
" 'Dear Earth scum," Radditz began, " 'if you want your stupid little brat back come to the Sunset Desert Regions 4:00pm today. If you're late and find the brat killed, though luck, but if you come early we will kill him anyway. All we want is Goku, and that's all. Fail and—as we said before—we will kill the little one.'"   
"Perfect," Vegeta sneered.   
  
Bulma blinked her eyes open and saw Goku standing frustrated holding a sheet of paper. She barely managed to take another breath when Goku slammed the paper on the table and fled out the house.   
Bulma blinked her eyes in confusion pushed Yamcha off of her and got up to read what was on the paper. On one side was a bunch of dribble, but on the other…   
Bulma checked her watch, 3:20pm. Goku would be there in no time if he flew! It would be to early and the kidnappers would kill Gohan! Bulma had to stop him.   
She ran outside and yelled into the air, "Goku! Goku come back Goku!"   
It was too late, he was already gone. So Bulma ran inside and shook Yamcha awake.   
"Wha…" Yamcha stifled a yawn, "what is it Bulma?"   
"We need your air-car! Goku and Gohan are in trouble!" Bulma yelled.   
Yamcha learned by now never to question Bulma and got up.   
They ran out the door to his air-car.   
  
"Okay, I'm here," Goku landed and Prince Vegeta turned around to see Goku.   
Vegeta's eyes lit up as he saw Goku, "So! You are still with us! We were beginning to worry!"   
"I'm not with you," Goku spat.   
"What…" Radditz looked at him astounded, "but what are you talking about brother?"   
"Don't call me brother," Goku's eyes narrowed, "I want nothing to do with you. You killed my grandpa, you monster, it took me years to figure it out, but when I did… it was infuriating."   
"I had to Goku," Radditz defended himself, "look what that human did to you! He's not your Grandfather Goku!"   
Goku glowered at his brother in silence, then turned his glare on to Vegeta, "And you."   
Vegeta winced.   
"Tell your father I no longer consider myself a Sayian," Goku said still scowling, "you bastards sent me here when I was just a toddler and you expect me to continue to fight for you? No. Just because my father, Bardock, and my Uncle Turlus were Patriots, does not make me one."   
"You traitor!" Vegeta hissed angrily, "now we'll be sure to destroy that child of yours!"   
Just then all the Sayians' attention was diverted by and air-car landing overhead.   
Goku's eyes widened in horror as he realized it was Bulma and Yamcha, ~ No! They must've read the letter! I should've destroyed it. ~   
Vegeta disdainfully smirked at the look on Goku's face, "Or, why don't I just destroy those little humans in there?"   
"You leave'em alone!" Goku snarled picking up Vegeta by the neck.   
Radditz hesitated, but Vegeta signaled him to stay where he was.   
"One little shot and they're as good as dead," Vegeta pointed his finger at the car as Yamcha and Bulma peered their heads out.   
"One shot and you'll be dead," Goku tightened his grip around Vegeta's neck.   
"Goku!" Bulma called.   
"Go home Bulma!" Goku barked, but Bulma only backed up quietly.   
Vegeta snickered and kicked Goku one good time in the stomach.   
Goku took a few steps backward, caught his balance and got on guard, "KAME AHME AH!!!"   
Vegeta went flying into the air and smashed against a pod which screamed, "DADDY!"   
"Gohan?" Goku stopped and ran to the pod, "Gohan!"   
"Daddy!" The pod began crying.   
Goku ran in front of it, but couldn't quite remember how to open it.   
"He'll be fine brother," Radditz assured from behind Goku, "but I can't say the same for you if you don't reconsider."   
Goku trembled with frustration and blasted Radditz in the face, "I'm not your damn brother!"   
Radditz held his face in pain and tripped over his own feet.   
Goku once again tried to open the pod.   
Vegeta rubbed his head angrily as he rolled to his feet and glared at Goku, "You hurt me."   
"Trust me kid, you don't get enough spankings," Goku began trying to pull the door open by force.   
"How dare you!" Vegeta snapped, "I've been disciplined my whole life! It is you who needs spankings!"   
Goku smirked at Vegeta as the door began to lift with his force, "Believe me, my wife sees to that."   
Vegeta tilted his head in confusion.   
"Goku!" Bulma screamed, "Look out!"   
Goku let go of the pod door which slammed shut again and grabbed Radditz's foot which was about to kick him upside his head.   
"Tsk tsk," Goku shook his finger and flipped Radditz on to his face. He stood up and looked down on Radditz, "it seems as though the monkeys don't know much manners now do they?"   
Radditz jumped to his feet angrily, "How dare you call us monkeys!"   
Goku jeered.   
"You're no Sayian of ours!" Vegeta gritted his teeth.   
"Well duh," Goku started innocently, "isn't that what I've been trying to tell you?"   
Radditz growled and punched Goku in his face.   
Bulma couldn't believe what she was seeing… or rather… hearing. It seemed that him and two others with tails just like him were fighting! Not only that, but he'd just yelled at her in some gibberish language and not even noticed. In fact, none of the words any of them had been saying was in English!   
That big guy was punching Goku hard, and Goku just stood there and let him punch. What was happening? What was going on? Bulma knew better than anyone that Goku could block those punches.   
"Maybe we should get out of here Bulma?" Yamcha said unsteadily.   
"No," Bulma shook her head firmly, but Yamcha jumped in his car and took off, "YAMCHA!!!"   
"Stupid fool!" Radditz yelled and kneed Goku in the stomach, because he was tired of punching Goku's bruised, bleeding, black-eyed face, "Why are you letting yourself be beaten!"   
Radditz threw a ki blast at Goku and he flipped over the pod.   
"So that… I can feel the pain my Grandfather felt… before you murdered him…" Goku spat up blood as he stood up weakly.   
"He was you Grandfather!" Radditz yelled and hit Goku with an even stronger ki blast.   
He went to blast Goku again, but this time Goku wouldn't let him. Radditz unleashed a terrible attack and Goku deflected it with his arm as he got to his feet and wiped the blood from his mouth.   
"Now," Goku cracked his knuckles neck, and back, "it's your turn. Kao-ken times five!"   
Vegeta and Radditz backed up as Goku's power rating of 100 went to one-thousand and multiplied itself by five.   
"Impossible," Vegeta's eyes widened as he read his scouter, "it most be some trick!"   
Like a bullet, Goku plunged at Radditz and smashed his nose in. Then just as fast disappeared.   
"Over here!" Goku said. Radditz turned around and punched what seemed to be Goku, but was only his after image. Then WHAM Radditz fell to the ground after Goku kicked him in the head from behind.   
Goku snickered backwards flipped to his feet and bowed in a way that was supposed to be respectful, but seemed to be in mockery.   
"Why you…!" Radditz growled as blood poured from his broken nose, "I no longer consider you my brother, but my enemy!"   
"Gosh, are you ever late," Goku crossed his arms.   
Radditz went in for an attack, but again only an after image. He quickly turned around and punched yet another after image. Then POW Radditz flew to the side after being punched in the side of his head.   
Vegeta shook his head in shame.   
Radditz got to his feet and glared at Goku. The fight went on for hours, until the last strike.   
"And this," Goku formed a spirit bomb as Radditz formed one of his own special attacks, "is for my Grandpa!"   
Goku tossed the bomb at Radditz. There was no escaping it as it hit him and blew him to smithereens.   
Vegeta looked at the spot where Radditz had been without a hint of emotion on his face.   
"Are you intimidated?" Goku asked, "I'd be glad to spare your life if you leave now."   
"I'm not in the least bit worried," Vegeta turned his feeling-less look.   
That didn't last very long when Vegeta soon learned he was no match for Goku.   
POW Vegeta hit the ground yet again. Goku landed in front of him with flames burning in his dark eyes.   
"Do you surrender?" Goku asked looking at the boy Sayian on his back all banged up and mangled.   
"Na…no…" Vegeta stammered in pain.   
"Your funeral," Goku said coldly and blasted Vegeta in the face.   
This wasn't good. Vegeta was losing his energy more and more and couldn't reach his moon simulator. He felt everything blanking out, everything getting darker. Then Goku stopped, not because he was taking mercy, but because he was going to finish Vegeta off once and for all.   
"Goku stop!" Bulma cried finally cutting in as she ran over and grabbed Goku arm as he formed an energy bomb. He glared at her angrily. This was not her Goku, her Goku wouldn't even think of destroying an innocent boy. This Goku was someone she'd never known. "Goku he's just a boy!"   
"You think I don't know that?" Goku snapped at her, finally in English, "I've given him a chance to surrender, but he won't. Which means he'll return to destroy us all! Does that like a nice thought to you?"   
"No, but he's only a boy!"   
"He's not only a boy, Bulma! He's a Sayian!" Goku snapped.   
Bulma looked at him confused.   
As Goku and his friend fought, Vegeta started to make his getaway by crawling. His pod contained the kid, so he'd have to use Radditz's. A foot away from the pod a foot crushed his hand. Vegeta gritted his teeth in pain and looked up at Goku.   
"Where do you think you're going?" Goku glowered down at Vegeta.   
Vegeta laid silent on the ground, prepared to die, as Goku powered up.   
"Goku! No!" The woman, Bulma was her name, yelled trying to stop him, but he pushed her to the ground.   
There was no stopping it this time, Vegeta was as good as dead.   
"First," Goku started with a smirk as he looked down at Vegeta, "I'll chop off your little tail, then I'll blow your brains out. How does that sound?"   
Vegeta swallowed hard in his throat.   
Bulma looked at Goku in shock and horror as he powered up to take out the boy in the most painful and violent ways. She did the only thing she could do. She flung her arms around the child and held him close. He looked up at her in surprise.   
Goku stopped and looked at her, "Let him go Bulma, I must take care of this."   
"I will not let you kill a boy Goku!" Bulma shouted, "Imagine how his father would feel! I mean, he's probably around Gohan's age! How would you feel if you found that your son had been killed?"   
"That doesn't matter!"   
"It does!" Bulma held Vegeta closer and he blushed. He'd never been this close to a woman's chest before.   
"Bulma," Goku started, "you don't understand!"   
"I don't have to!" Bulma snapped, "This boy is an innocent victim!"   
"He is not!"   
"He is only a child--!"   
"So you've said before," Goku was beginning to lose his temper.   
"He's still young, he can be taught, just give him a chance Goku!" Bulma cried.   
"No! And if you don't move I'll destroy you as well!" Goku threatened and got ready to blast her and Vegeta.   
"Then do it," Bulma said bravely.   
Vegeta shut his eyes tight, but nothing happened.   
Goku sighed and put his hand down and grumbled angrily, " Fine ."   
Bulma smiled happily.   
"But you must promise me this one thing," Goku started, "you must take this child into your custody and never let him go into outer space."   
"What!" Vegeta exclaimed.   
"It will be done," Bulma nodded and smiled warmly at Vegeta, "We'll get along just fine."   
Vegeta reluctantly smiled back at her, but it came out deformed. She saved his life, this stranger had saved his life! 


	3. Chapter 1::Breaking Up Is Only The Begin...

CHAPTER ONE  
"BREAKING UP IS ONLY THE BEGINNING""Bulma," Yamcha looked around as he popped his head in Bulma's yellow lit room.  
"Hey Yamcha," Bulma smiled coming over about to kiss him. He drew his head back before she could, "What's up with you?"  
"We need to talk," He pulled her out into the dim hall and closed her bedroom door, shutting out all light around them.  
"What's wrong?" She looked into his dark eyes concerned and a bit afraid.  
"How can I put this? I'dve never thought that I could…would…can do this to you…after, what happened to me…" He turned away scratching the back of his head, "I-I—uh—can't see you anymore."  
"What?" She looked at him, hurt and tears filling her blue eyes, "What do you mean? Why?"  
"Goodbye Bulma." Yamcha backed up with darkened eyes and went down the steps as he whispered again, "Goodbye."  
"Yamcha! Yamcha get back here! You can't leave!" Bulma shouted crying as Yamcha reached the door. He stopped with his back to her, "If you leave… you can never come back!"  
He opened the door and left, not even thinking of turning back. Afraid that if he looked behind him he might change his mind.  
"Yamcha! I don't understand!" Bulma cried and dropped to her knees. What had she done? What had happened between them that made Yamcha have to hurt her like this? He couldn't have known about her crush on Goku. It wasn't that big of a deal! She'd never loved anyone the way she loved Yamcha. She thought he understood her, she thought he would never let her down, but now…   
She couldn't think straight, all Bulma wanted to do right now was cry. Her first boyfriend… who'd she'd dated for decades… gone. He was most likely to be her last, she thought, considering how old she'd become. But she couldn't think about that. All she wanted to know was… why?  
  
Yamcha walked out into the cold brisk air, he tried to put the sound of Bulma crying behind him as he flicked up the collar of his jacket and put a toothpick in his mouth.  
Suddenly, a woman dressed in black wearing thick sun-glasses(despite the fact that it was a cold winter night) drove up in a white air-car convertible. Her long black hair that was usually up in a bun that made her look old was now out and made her look young.  
Yamcha walked over and jumped into the passenger's seat.  
"How'd she take it?" The black-haired woman asked with her hands on the wheel looking straight ahead.   
Yamcha shrugged as if he didn't care, but deep down it hurt like something had been ripped out his heart. Not only had he betrayed Bulma, but himself. He flicked the toothpick out his mouth, "How'd Goku take it?"  
The black-haired woman smirked as she took off, she didn't seem to care very much, and it sincerely shown through her wrinkle-less face, "Cried like a baby."  
As they drove off into the night Yamcha had to wonder. Was he doing the right thing? Dumping Bulma, who loved him very much, who was there in his time in need, who had never let him down, for Chi-chi who had loads of money she'd been stealing from Goku every-time he won a tournament.  
Who was he kidding? This couldn't get much worse, this was low, this was lower than low. This was your grave at the center of the Earth low. But then again, this was life and money plays a very important part in the game of life.  
They continued driving in the darkened night, never planning to return, never wanting to return. For Yamcha it was because he never wanted to feel that feeling in his heart again if he had to see Bulma. For Chi-chi… well… she liked the big life.   
  
Bulma cried and quivered on her couch as Vegeta came in and turned on the TV.  
"Hi Bulma." Hey greeted not noticing her depression as he changed to MTV, "Yeah! Just in time for the Road Rules Real World Challenge!"  
Bulma grimaced, why'd teenagers have to be so asinine? Better yet, why couldn't she be one again instead of this idiot woman.  
Suddenly Vegeta flicked off the TV and stood up, "What do you think?"  
She looked up and her eyes widened. He had cut his hair! After months and months of her telling him to cut it he finally did! And it looked… it looked…  
"Bwhahahaha!" Bulma started cracking up flinging the tears away.  
"I know it looks kind of dorky when I'm like this," He pushed his hair back with his hand embarrassed only to have it pop back into place again. He then jumped up putting his hands out, "But it looks so wicked when I go super sayian! It makes me look so hot babes'll be around me where ever I go!"  
Bulma grinned at him, "Let me see how hot you are then."  
Vegeta blushed and looked down, since he came to live at Bulma's house he's had a big crush on her. She had, after all, saved him from Goku blowing his brains out when he had came to the Earth with orders rally up Goku and take over the world.  
"Well, here it goes," he powered up and his dark reddish brown hair turned gold and his dark eyes turned green. Bulma had to admit, he was a sure fire knock-out. Vegeta crossed his arms, "Well, what'dya think?"  
"A real ladies man." Bulma smiled, "Now, if only you can use that concentration more on your schoolwork and housework."  
"I promised you would, Bulma. I won't go back on my word, I promise, I promise," Vegeta replied as he always did when Bulma reminded him.  
Bulma smiled her same warm smile she'd given Vegeta the first day she met him and hugged him, "Oi, Veggie-chan. I love you so much. You really are the most reliable man I know. The only one I can really trust not to leave me and who I know will protect me. Even from himself."  
Vegeta stared at her wide-eyed, she always seemed to want him out the house as soon as possible and here she was saying she liked him living here!   
"Of course Bulma, you protected me when Goku was sworn to chop the tail from my…" he stopped as he looked into Bulma's firm eyes, she scolded him whenever he cursed. For some reason on Earth, elders found it unbecoming for youngsters to curse. While on Vegeta-sei it was a sign of strength and intelligence. "butt and blast the head from my shoulders. I owe you."  
"No you don't," Bulma grinned, ever since Vegeta lived with her he's said that he owed her. All she did was jump in front of him when he could barely breath and Goku was about to grind him in the ground with an energy bomb. Sure she risked her life and had to lose her best friend who practically new everything about her and they haven't talked since. But really it was nothing, she knew Vegeta was misunderstand.  
"Whatever Bulma, you know my promise though." Vegeta nodded sincerely, "Someday, someday you'll need me to help you and finally my debt will be repaid."  
Bulma smiled again and went upstairs, it wasn't the first time she heard his little speech.  
  
Bulma smiled as she thought of the young Vegeta. How arrogant he was, but also how sweet and loyal, why couldn't all men be more like him?  
Bulma took and ice cold shower, but could think about only Yamcha. Why? Why had this happened to her? She didn't deserve it, did she? What had she said? What had she done?   
A familiar song played on her bathroom radio as she got out the shower and put on her robe. She shook out her hair with a towel she recognized it and turned it up as she started to blow-dry her hair.  
"I will survive.  
Oh As long as I know how to love  
I know I'll stay alive.  
I've got all my life to live.  
I've got all my love to give.  
I'll survive."  
  
"Oh! I will survive, as long as I know how to love I know how to stay alive," Bulma set up her CD in her room of this song, set it so it'd repeat, and sang along, "I've got all my life to live, I've got all my love to give I will survive…"  
Bulma turned it up full blast and got dressed. She jumped as her phone rang. Bulma caught her breath and slipped her night gown over her head as she checked to caller ID. Her heart pounded as she read the name, "SON, GOKU" her once best friend. She immediately picked up as she turned down her radio.  
"Y-Yes, hello?" Bulma stammered.  
"Is Yamcha there?" Goku barked angrily, unlike him really unless he was fighting an enemy.  
"N-no, he's not. He's never coming back." Bulma looked down.  
"I knew it!" Goku howled.  
"Excuse me?" Bulma snapped.  
"Listen, I know he broke up with you Bulma Chi-chi… left too."  
"What?" Bulma exclaimed.  
"I know," Goku calmed down a little probably happy to find someone that was feeling as crummy as him, or even just talking to his old friend again. "what am I going to do? What are WE going to do? I can't exactly tell the boys their mother ran away with your boyfriend…can I?"  
"I don't know Goku, it happened so fast, it seems unreal."  
"I know, I know, SHI…"  
"Calm down Goku, there's no need for vulgarity." Bulma caught him.  
"You and your thing against cursing." Goku laughed, "They're going to blame me, I KNOW they are. They love their mother, they're going to blame it all on me but…" Bulma heard Goku falter as if he would cry, "it's not my fault Bulma… it's not my fault!"  
"Shh… it's going to be okay," Bulma hushed him gently as she sat on her bed, "We're going to be okay, I promise you."  
"No Bulma, we can't… at least I can't… the boys… they'll hate me for the rest of their lives, I know they will."  
"I know it seems like we won't be able to survive without them now, Goku," Bulma held her head up trying to push back the tears that were blurring her vision, "but we'll get through it!"  
Her own words sounded so foreign to her. She wanted herself to believe it, she like the idea of being in denial, or hallucinating, anything seemed better than this. On the bright side, Goku was talking to her again.   
"What about you Bulma? How are you going to keep your house without Yamcha to pay have the rent?"   
"I'll find away, I'll have to get a second job. Or sell my dad's company, they're going to go bankrupt anyway."  
"Capsule Corp. you can't sell Capsule! You're dad'll turn in his grave!"   
"I might not have any other choice," Bulma sniffled and looked down letting her tears fall in her lap, "I might not have any other choice."  
  
Vegeta looked down gritting his teeth as he listened outside Bulma's door. Yamcha that scoundrel, he thought, when I get a hold of him I'll twist his head off and blow him to dust just like he deserves. He turned and silently went downstairs and went out, he was going to help Bulma. He was going to get a job.  
  
"Hey Bulma," Goku started up as Bulma laid her head on her pillow.  
"Yeah?" She whispered.  
"Why'd it take this to get us talking again?" Goku asked.  
"That should be something I should be asking you." Bulma answered.  
"What are you talking about? You're the one who stopped talking to me! I thought you were angry at me for beating up that boy of yours, so I decided to stay away."  
"No way," Bulma sat up, "I thought you were angry at me for stopping you from killing him."  
"Why would I be angry about that? You were right. I was taking things too far. Besides, I didn't originally want to kill the kid anyway, you know I get carried away sometimes, even if I don't like fighting… I just do it because it's the only thing I'm good at and…"  
"You like protecting people, I know Goku. You just seemed so upset." Bulma cut in.  
"Well I was, but then I began to realize what an idiot I had been. I was acting like how they would've acted, that wasn't me, not at all," Goku explained.  
Bulma knew what he was talking about, he was talking about the Sayians. Vegeta told her everything about them.  
"I think we need to meet," Bulma suggested, "so we can think this all through."  
"I think you're right, tomorrow then?" Goku added.  
"Sure, come over around lunch time, but don't ring the bell. Sometimes Vegeta sleeps late because he stays up so late. He's a nice kid, but has that sayian temper." Bulma chuckled.  
"He's LIVING with you still? The kid I almost killed? It's been eight years!" Goku exclaimed.  
"Well, you did tell me to take care of him," Bulma smiled even though she knew Goku couldn't see her.  
"Oh yeah…that's right…" Goku trailed remembering.  
"Well," Bulma hesitated not wanting to hang-up, but wanting to at the same time, "bye then."  
Goku said "bye" and Bulma hung up.  
Surprisingly, Bulma felt a lot better, even after that short talk. It most have been just talking to Goku again. I guess it's true what they say, she thought, something good does come out of something bad.  
She turned on her side and pulled on her covers as she shut off the light ready to sleep. Then a little voice inside of her made her whisper, "But so does something worse."   
  
  
**NOTE*** Hi! ^-^ 


	4. Chapter 2::Fighting Cause

CHAPTER TWO  
"FIGHTING CAUSE""Where did Mommy go?" Little Goten asked as Goku hung up the phone, "And why were you crying Daddy? Gohan told me you never cry."  
"Yes Dad, why don't you tell us." Gohan glowered at Goku, he was sixteen just like Vegeta.  
"Guys," Goku sighed putting Goten on his lap, "your Mom is gone…"  
"Is she coming back?" Goten looked at Goku innocently, "Where'd she go? Will she bring me back something? I hope she does."  
"I-I don't know." Goku looked down and his eyes darkened.  
Goten got nervous at the sad look on Goku's face, "She's coming back right? Right daddy? Right?"  
"I don't know Goten." Goku held his son.  
"Doesn't she love us anymore?" Goten's eyes grew huge with tears, "Doesn't she?"  
Goku sighed and sat Goten down on the table, not knowing what to say, only, "Goten, you're just to young to understand."  
"No I'm not, really," Goten blurted.  
Goku looked at his son. He could never bare to break his spirits, never bare it. "Why don't you go to bed and get some rest Goten… tomorrow we'll… do something nice… just like a family should."  
"Mom always said we needed to act more like a…" Goten stopped and looked at his Dad, "Did Mommy leave because she thought we were a bad family?"  
"Not exactly Goten," Goku tried to explain.  
Goten looked down sadly and jumped from the table. He dragged his feet out the kitchen and into his room he shared with Gohan, "Night then."  
"Goten," Goku sighed and sat down. He looked over at Gohan with his look of disgust, "You know don't you. It wasn't my fault Gohan, I swear by it. Please, don't hate me, that's the last thing I need right now. And fix your face, it's not like I planned this. You're making me feel like I let you down."  
"You did," Gohan looked at Goku. Goku looked down and there was an awkward silence until Gohan started up again, "but not for the reason you think."  
Goku looked up.  
"How could you let her do that to you?" Gohan looked at Goku, "You've known for years that she didn't love you Dad, you've known. I'm so angry at how stupid you've been! And I'm so angry that you let me be that woman's child! That bitch! That's al she is! A dog in heat! Since I was a child I knew! No, in fact I can tell you the exact day. The day you saved me from those Sayians, what was the first thing she told us?"  
Goku thought for a second and shook his head meaning he couldn't remember.  
" 'You're late for lunch." Gohan started in a mocking tone of voice, " 'now you'll have to eat it cold.' At first I thought she didn't know, but she had brought the letter home, I saw it on the table, she knew. Did she even check to see if I was all right? No. Not at all. She didn't care. She never loved me."  
"That's not true," Goku said suddenly, but as soon as he said it he felt his own words weren't true.  
"You're going to think this funny, but you know Vegeta?" Gohan chuckled a little.  
"Yes, he was one of the Sayians that kidnapped you, the one Bulma saved."  
"Yeah well, he's in my class," Goku's eyes widened in shock at this and Gohan went on, "and to be honest, I've always envied him. Bulma cared for him as if he were own child. Well, yeah, sure, he's got that attitude problem and everything—but at least he knows someone cares about him. I mean, she's not even his mother."  
Goku just sat there with his jaw-dropped slightly.  
"So I guess what I'm trying to say is," Gohan sighed finishing up, "I don't know why you let it last so long, I don't know why you made it last at all. Dad, I know you could've done better and Goten will understand one day."  
Goku grinned as he embraced his son, "Thank you, I should've spent more time with you. I should've seen it as clearly as you have. I'm sorry Gohan, I'm sorry I let you down."  
"It's okay, I'll try to explain to Goten the best I can," Gohan told his father.  
Goku nodded and Gohan went off.  
  
"Hey, Goten," Gohan smiled coming into the room that he shared with Goten, "what's up."  
"Shut up Gohan and get lost!" Goten yelled scribbling something on paper, "You think I'm so stupid! I heard you and Dad talking! I know what's going on!"  
"What'cha got there?" Gohan came over.  
"None of your business." Goten covered it up with his arm and continued to draw.  
"Wanna talk about it?" Gohan asked sitting on his bed.  
"What's to talk about? Dad's a jerk! And I hate him and I hate you!" Goten continued to draw, more furious.  
"Is that so? Then why is he the one sitting downstairs worrying about us? If mom really cared so much, why'd she leave us? Huh, Goten?"  
Goten stopped, then started drawing slower this time, "Dad scared her away. You both planned this…you didn't like Mommy so you made her leave! Well, I loved Mom and she loved me, and I don't care what you say! She always told me she liked me the best anyway."  
"Then why didn't she take you with her?" Gohan crossed his arms.  
"Because… because…" Goten stuttered, "Shut up, Gohan."  
"Did she really say that?" Gohan asked suddenly.  
"Yeah, she said Dad was a stupid fool and you gave her too many dirty looks."  
Gohan snorted.  
"Knock, knock." They heard someone call from downstairs.  
"Trunks." They looked at each other.  
Goku opened the door, "Hey, Trunks. Now is not a good time, can you come back some other time?"  
"I just came to see if Gohan's here, he took my homework by accident." Trunks tried to see in the house past Goku and slipped in.  
"Go home Trunks." Goku turned around angrily.  
"Alls I need to do is get my homework Goku." Trunks argued.  
"Here Trunks," Gohan ran out his room and handed Trunks the homework, "Now go."  
"Can't I stay awhile?" Trunks resisted as Gohan pushed him out the house.  
"No! We'll talk tomorrow when we go out with the girls." Gohan pushed Trunks out the door.  
"Hey wait!" Trunks caught the door before Gohan shut it, "Me and the girls are hangin' out tomorrow and I'm not exactly one who like to go out with girls on lonesome, so how's it sound?"  
"You're asking me to come with you?" Gohan looked at Trunks.  
"Well yeah," Trunks began to smirk evilly, "Videl will be there."  
Gohan blushed and slammed the door shut.  
"Is that a yes then?" Trunks asked outside the door.  
"Yeah, whatever," Gohan grumbled.  
"Aight, see ya then, same time same place as always," Trunks called from outside and went on his way.  
"I was actually going somewhere tomorrow so would you mind taking Goten along?" Goku asked Gohan.  
"Sure, if Gohan wants to," Gohan said aloud.  
"I'm not going anywhere with you jerks!" Goten shouted.  
"Bra will be there," Gohan said with the same evil grin as Trunks.  
There was a silence then the little boy said, "Well, alright, but only because Trunks' little sister is such a looker."   
  
Vegeta cursed under his breath silently as he packed up a Happy Meal. His last customer had ordered all Super-size goods, then when he gave it to her she decided that she wanted a small sprite and a chicken sandwich. So, he got the sprite and the chicken sandwich, but no, now she wanted super-size fries a big Mac and a coke. To top that off Vegeta "accidentally" spilled the sprite on the woman's shirt making her get her meal for free.  
He gave his customer the Happy Meal and looked up at the clock. Finally, he could have his break! He took a Super-size meal with a hamburger, fries, and soda, put his money in the cash register to pay for it and sat down to eat.  
"You are so cheap." He heard a familiar voice say. He looked up and saw Marron crossing her arms angrily at Trunks. Gohan and Videl were staring at them and Goten was standing there bored(Trunks had left Bra at home).  
"Oh shit," Vegeta shielded his face, he couldn't be seen working at here, or even being here at that matter. Not that the people he didn't know were already bad enough, he did not need to hear Trunks' big, over-sized, trap laughing at him.   
  
"I thought you liked McDonalds," Trunks laughed scratching the back of his head.  
"Whatever," Marron turned her back on him, "you said we were going to a classy restaurant."  
"This isn't classy?" Trunks looked at her.  
Videl rolled her eyes as Marron and Trunks began to fight and saw Vegeta.  
"Hey, isn't that your friend Gohan?" She pulled on Gohan's jacket and pointed.  
"Him," Gohan looked over and called, "hey Vegeta!"  
"Don't come over and ask me what I'm doing here," Vegeta repeated over and over.  
Gohan came over, "What are you doing here and… what did you do to your hair?"  
Vegeta pulled up his jacket to try and hide his uniform, "That's none of your business nit-wit."  
"Wait, you work here?" Gohan looked at his name tag and started laughing.  
"Shut up." Vegeta stood up, "I wouldn't be working here if the woman who takes care of me wasn't going to lose her house and company because of some jerk the left her for her friend's wife!"  
Gohan stopped laughing, that sounded a lot like his father's predicament. Wait a minute, hadn't Goku asked his friend about losing Capsule Corp. on the phone last night?  
"My mom left my dad, for Yamcha?" Gohan looked at Vegeta.  
Vegeta scowled, "I don't care what bitch that bastard ran away with! Bulma has taken care of me since I came on this rotten planet! I owe her my very life because of your blasted bitch-screwin' father!"  
Gohan balled his fist and sock Vegeta in the face, "Shut up about my Dad, I don't care what you say about my Mom, but don't you ever bad-mouth my Dad."  
"So? Your mother, eh?" Vegeta got up and looked Gohan up and down, "I should've known the ass who had a hand in this had some relation to you. I always did wonder about your stupidity Gohan, guess it doesn't come from your father's side after all."  
Gohan gritted his teeth and punched Vegeta in the face. Vegeta wiped the blood from his nose and as if he had ordered it to, it stopped.  
"That was not smart for someone who I suppressed so easily once before," Vegeta scolded.  
"I was eight years old and you knock me out with sleeping gas you idiot!" Gohan snapped.  
"On Vegeta-sei we have this rule, it's quite Fundamental there actually," Vegeta changed the subject, "If one person intentionally hits another, that other has the right to knock the lights out of the first."  
"What do I care?" Gohan shrugged and Vegeta punched him very hard in the face sending him a few steps back.  
"Nothing I guess, I was just trying to warn you," Vegeta replied.  
Gohan rubbed his nose angrily and jabbed Vegeta in the side of the head sending him off guard, then hammer-fisted him in the stomach. Everyone started screaming and ran out as Vegeta rubbed blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. Furiously he blasted Gohan through the window. Gohan flew back through the window and blasted Vegeta so hard he flipped over the counter.  
"Maybe we should go too." Trunks grinned pointing to the door.  
"No way, I want to see my brother kick this punk's…" before Goten could finish his sentence Trunks flung him over his shoulder and ran out the restaurant with the girls.  
  
"I'm glad we could get together," Bulma smiled at Goku as they walked down the street, "it's been much too long Goku. We shouldn't have waited for something like this to happen before we spoke to each other again."  
"I guess, neither of us wanted to hear the other angry at us our whatever, I dunno," Goku shrugged putting his hands in his jacket pocket, "I'm kind of sad that I didn't get to see that boy though. I wanted to apologize to him."  
Suddenly, they saw Trunks, Marron, Videl, and Goten run down the block.  
"Hey what's going on guys?" Goku greeted.  
"Goku!" Everyone exclaimed except for Goten who didn't say anything.  
*BOOM* McDonalds crumbled to the ground and Gohan and Vegeta flew out into the street, still fighting.  
"Gohan!" Goku ran over.  
"Vegeta!" Bulma followed.  
Vegeta was about to punch Gohan when Bulma pushed him back as Goku held Gohan back.  
"This illegitimate waif started it." Vegeta tried to get past Bulma making sure he thought of different words in his vocabulary so he didn't curse in front of Bulma.  
"Vegeta," She berated firmly, "I wasn't born yesterday, I know exactly what you called him."  
"So what if I started it? You should've heard what he was saying about you Dad!" Gohan tried to get loose of Goku.  
"Well! You didn't have to go and punch me! You should've known I was going to kick your ass!" Vegeta yelled.  
"VEGETA!" Bulma shouted.  
"Sorry," Vegeta muttered.  
"Well, you should've known you were going to get punched for bad-mouthing my family!" Gohan shouted.  
Boys, CALM DOWN!" Bulma shouted, "We're all victims here."  
"Shut up, cow. Maybe if you were a better girlfriend your guy wouldn't have wondered over to my mom," Gohan snapped, "all victims here my ass. You're just trying to get some with my Dad."  
"Excuse me?" Bulma turned around.  
"That's right, you're a big blue cow." Gohan insulted.  
"That's it you dirty…" Vegeta stood up and Bulma stopped him.  
"I thought we had an understanding, Gohan." Goku sighed sitting Gohan on the trunk of a car.  
"I understand it's not your fault, that's what I understand." Gohan replied.  
"It's not Bulma's fault either!" Vegeta clamored.  
"Hush, Vegeta." Bulma scolded.  
"But…" Vegeta groaned and Bulma put a finger to his lips.  
"So, what you're saying is it's Bulma's fault?" Goku raised one brow at Gohan.  
"Yes it is." Gohan replied, "Maybe if she had treated her boyfriend better he wouldn't have messed with mom's mind."  
"That wasn't at all what you were saying yesterday Gohan," Goku stated.  
"Yeah well, people's minds change," Gohan glowered at Vegeta.  
"Well, maybe if your DAD treated your mom better she wouldn't have come on to Bulma's boyfriend." Vegeta argued.  
Gohan knocked Goku out the way, "You wanna piece of me?"  
"Excuse me, Bulma." Vegeta pushed Bulma to the side gently, "Yeah, you spoiled brat."  
"Will you two stop!" Bulma shouted close to tears, "I can't take it anymore!"  
"You're acting like babies," Goku comforted Bulma, "you both share the same wound. Why don't you work together to heal it instead of fighting and making it bigger?"  
"I really hate metaphors," Vegeta winced at Goku, "and I'm not exactly your biggest fan either. All I was trying to do was make a little money to help Bulma pay for her home and everything. I've learned okay Goku? I've learned, just like you learned when you were little."  
Bulma was touched by this most selfless offer.  
"I'm sorry about everything by the way," Goku blurted.  
"Me too," Vegeta nodded.  
"So will you at least stop fighting with each other then?" Goku looked from one to the other.  
Gohan sighed, "Yeah sure."  
"It's not like I have to be friends with him or anything," Vegeta crossed his arms sourly.  
"Nope, just try not to get in each other's faces or accuse who's family did what," Goku tried to explain.  
"Well," Gohan put out his hand.  
Vegeta stared at Gohan's hand and winced at him. After a few tense moments shook his hand mumbling, "Yeah, sure. Just stay out my face."  
"If you stay out mine," Gohan whispered through clenched teeth.  
"I told you first," Vegeta squeezed Gohan's hand.  
"You were the one who started the feud by kidnapping me."  
"I didn't kidnap you."  
"Did too."  
"No I didn't."  
"Yes you did."   
"Now that we're all friends here!" Trunks came out of no where.  
"WE'RE NOT FRIENDS!" Vegeta and Gohan hissed in unison glared at each other and then turned their backs on one another.  
"Okay, now that we're all getting along here!" Trunks started over, "Let's go to the movies!"  
Gohan and Vegeta looked at Trunks annoyed and he backed away slowly.  
Goku and Bulma smiled at each other faintly.  
"I told you we would survive, didn't I?" Bulma smiled, this time her words had become more true to her own heart.  
"This is just the beginning, my friend." Goku patted her on the back, "It' only the beginning."  
  
"Do you think it was smart to leave the boys together?" Bulma asked Goku.  
"I told Trunks and the girls to break them up if anything happens, but I doubt anything will." Goku answered eating his Chinese food at Bulma's  
"I guess, so what are we going to do." Bulma looked at him. He was eating slow, that is NOT a good sign.  
"I was thinking about it last night," He began, "Why should we do anything? If something comes up we'll explain the whole truth. The boys already know so end of that story."   
"What about me Goku? How am I going to pay the rent?" Bulma looked at him. She really didn't want to sell Capsule, but she might not have any other choice. And although Vegeta had made that sweet offer, she doubted someone would want to hire a short tempered teenager for real good pay.  
"I'll help you pay for it." Goku finished his meal.  
"How?"   
"Don't worry about it." Goku got up and put on his denim jacket.  
"Do you have to go now?" Bulma looked up at him sadly, "I'm not used to being alone."  
"Don't worry, Vegeta will be here." Goku smirked looking at the doorway.  
"But he's…" Bulma stopped, "Come out the hall all of you."  
The whole gang came into the living room.  
"I just wanted to make sure you were all right Bulma." Vegeta looked down, "I'm sorry."  
"It's okay Vegeta, but you have to stop eavesdropping, it's becoming a habit." Bulma grinned at him.  
"Okay." Vegeta nodded.  
"Well, it looks like I have to take you home." Goku looked at the kids, "Mind flying? Chi-chi took my car."  
"That's okay, we can go home ourselves Goku," Trunks smiled.  
"Yeah and I was going to fly Videl home," Gohan explained.  
"Alright then," Goku looked at Bulma, "see you around."  
"See ya around." Bulma replied as they left.  
Vegeta sat next to her, "You can cry now, they're gone."  
"What makes you think I'm going to cry?" Bulma sniffed.  
"Because, I know you, you've been holding it in all day and you almost lost it when me and Gohan were fighting."  
"I think I've gotten over yesterday, being with Goku has lifted my spirits…" then she burst into tears and lied her head on Vegeta's shoulder.  
"It's okay, Bulma. You're going to survive remember?" Vegeta hugged her.  
Survive? Bulma stopped, survive!  
She ran upstairs and locked herself in her room and looked through her CD rack for Gloria Gaynor. When she found it she put it on "I Will Survive," the song she had heard in the shower the night before.  
Bulma could never understand the meaning of the song until now, she was going to survive. If this woman could do it so could she! Of course she was going to need a little help.  
"Hello?" she asked after dialing a number on the phone and smiled, "Long time no see, no talk, no hear, no write, little buddy."  
  
"At first I was scared! I was petrified!" Vegeta heard Bulma singing from her room as the song played for like the hundredth time and he put his ear on the door, "Thinking I could never live without you by my side!"  
*WHAM* The door flung open letting loose the loud music. Vegeta backed up wide-eyed.  
"But then I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong! And I grew strong! I learned how to get along," She started to dance with Vegeta, "And now you're back, from outer space. I just walked into find you here with that look upon your face. I should have changed that stupid lock, I should've made you leave your key if I had known you'd come back to bother me!"  
Bulma began to dance down the steps, "Oh now go! Walk out the door! Turn around, because you're not welcome anymore!"  
Vegeta shook his head laughing inside as he watched Bulma dance around her house and listen to that song about a million times more until she knock herself out.  
  
"Is that blue-haired lady the reason Mom went away?" Goten asked at dinner time.  
Goku looked up from his dinner at him, "What makes you say that?"  
Goten shrugged, "It would explain a lot."  
Goku made a face, "Finish eating Goten."  
Gohan looked at Goku, "Sorry, about today…I was being thick-headed…then all those memories flooded into my head and I just couldn't control myself."  
"It's okay Gohan, but please don't take out anything else on Bulma, she's as innocent as I am," Goku finished eating.  
"Then she's not very innocent is she?" Goten muttered under his breath.  
"Goten," Goku looked at Goten, "what do you think about when you see your mother."  
"Someone who's not like you," Goten snapped bluntly.  
"I mean, what do you feel?" Goku asked trying to be patient.  
"I feel," Goten thought, "like she cares about me, and that she really likes those silk clothes, even though you can't exactly do anything fun with them, and I see someone who…who…Shut up Dad." Goten finished sourly.  
"Do you want to know who I see?" Goku asked.  
Goten shrugged.  
"I see someone who I thought I could trust, someone who blinded me with a love that wasn't even there. I see someone who betrayed me and my sons and one of my very best friends." Goku said, "I see someone who used me."  
Goten looked at his father got up from the table and left.  
  
  
  
***NOTE*** A little better? Okay, it sucks, so sue me already! 


	5. Chapter 3::Little Buddy

CHAPTER 3  
"LITTLE BUDDY"  
  
Note: Before I start this chapter I would like to give a shout out to Secretsguirl, Nekoni, and a VERY special shout out to Vegeta's Princess. Thanks for reviewing you guys and making me want to write this story again. Much love to ya ^_- Chococat101  
  
She glided off the train into the crowded train station, was it true? It couldn't be true. How could it be true? They had devoted their love, their life, their everything to each other...how could this be? It didn't matter, she knew her mission, she would comfort her childhood friend in her time of need.  
"PWAR!!! Pwar over here!" A very familiar voice shouted.  
The fuzzy blue cat turned her head and saw her childhood friend, Bulma waving and running past the crowds to get to her. Right before the cat's eyes she saw an infant turn into a toddler, a toddler turn into a kid, a kid turn into a pre-teen, a pre-teen turn into a teen, and then some.   
Bulma had aged and grown so much, but Pwar would always stay the same. She waved back as the train attendant handed her a big suitcase.  
Bulma stopped in front of her fuzzy friend, eyes glassy with tears of joy. The two friends exchanged glances then hugged each other bursting out in tears as they screamed happily scaring off people within miles of them.  
"I missed you so much," they said together then burst out laughing.  
  
"So what have you been up to?" Bulma asked Pwar as she carried the suitcase to her aircar.  
"Oh," Pwar started excited, "I've been everywhere! First I went to Africa and visited Kenya and Egypt, then it was onward to the Congo. I went to the Amazon, and Brazil--god, you just HAVE to try their chocolate--and I went to America, Wyoming is just SO beautiful! I even stayed in Australia for a few months."  
"Yeah," Bulma smiled faintly, "I can hear it a bit in your accent."  
"But my favorite place had to be England, it was SO gorgeous, yet urban, trey cool," Pwar went on, then sighed, "I wish you had come with me."  
"I wish I had come to," Bulma put the trunk in the back seat and got in the driver's seat of the car. Pwar and Bulma had made plans to travel the world together, but when Bulma and Yamcha got together, their plans had bended, then they were overall eliminated over the years. Why had Bulma let herself be held back from all the things she could've experienced in life?  
"But enough about lingering in the past!" Pwar exclaimed trying to snap Bulma out of her flashbacks, "I'm here to work on the future! Let's get started by getting some ice-cream!"  
"Yeah!" Bulma cheared, "Dairy Queen here I come!"  
Bulma hit the gas petal real hard and the took off in a gust of smoke.  
  
"Buck up will ya!" The raven-haired girl with the dark sunglasses snapped at her run-a-way companion, "What's the matter with you? Why are you acting like such a retard! Isn't this what you wanted? Freedom?"  
Yamcha held his head low as he thought of Bulma, was this really what he wanted? This was the exact thing his ex had done to him, was this really the right thing to do?  
Suddenly Chi-chi slapped him hard in the arm.  
"Owe," Yamcha held his arm looking at Chi-chi.  
"Stop it," Chi-chi hissed at him as she turned off the road in the dessert they were in.  
"Stop what? I wasn't doing anything!" Yamcha whined pathetically.  
"Stop thinking about that obnoxious little brat! And stop acting like such a blasted wuss!" Chi-chi flared turning to Yamcha, one hand clenching the dashboard, the other on the head of the driver's seat.  
Yamcha bit his lip and looked away, of all the people he could've ran away with, why did he choose this one.  
"Oh c'mon," Chi-chi got closer to Yamcha suddenly getting soft, "you know I'm just messing with ya."  
She thrust out her chest as she wrapped her arms around Yamcha and licked him seductively on the neck.  
Oh yeah, now Yamcha remembered.  
  
"A plus B equals C, C times 25 equals 5 squared so C equals D," Vegeta's algebra teacher bubbled on and on as she jotted numbers and equations on the board.  
Vegeta struggled to keep his eyes open, but it was futile, he had learned all this when he was what? Three?  
How am I going to help Bulma? Vegeta thought to himself as he finally slipped into a light sleep, I can't trust Goku to take care of all the finance problems...I can't trust him to take care of any. I have to find something, a part-time job, full-time job, heck I'll take up babysitting as long as I can make some money.  
Two hands slammed on Vegeta's desk jerking him awake. Vegeta looked up nervously into the eyes of his angry Algebra teacher.  
"Sleeping in my class, eh? Well, since you seem to know all this already, why don't you answer the question on the board Vegeta, and while you're at it, teach the rest of the class as well."  
Vegeta's nervous look was replaced by a clever grin, "All right."  
He stood up and went to the board and within seconds solved the equation.  
"Very nicely done Vegeta, but now can you teach the rest of us?" The black-haired teacher asked sitting at Vegeta's seat.  
"Well, it's simple really," Vegeta said and began to explain what we did. Once he was done the bell rang and everyone left.  
Vegeta grabbed his bookbag to go, but his teacher stopped him, "One moment Vegeta."  
Vegeta stopped and turned around as Trunks, the last one to leave, left the classroom and closed the door behind him singing the graveyard song.  
The teacher scowled at the door then smiled at Vegeta, "I think you have something going for you Vegeta. Have you ever thought of being a Math tutor."  
Vegeta sighed and turned on his hell to the door, "Not really."  
"You could help out a lot of kids Vegeta," the algebra teacher went on as Vegeta reached the door, "and you get paid 25 dollars an hour."  
Vegeta stopped with his hand on the door, 25 dollars an hour? That would mean he'd make 100 a day if he worked four hours and 700 a week if he worked four hours everyday. He turned around, "I'm listening."  
"You'll have to study really hard and parents will be expecting full letter grade improvements, but from how you handled this class, I think you are very capable."  
"Thanks," Vegeta grinned, "but you sold me already, I'm in, what I really meant was, when do I begin?"  
  
"Mmm..." Bulma licked the dripping ice-cream off her hand.  
"So, how has it been?" Pwar asked finishing her Milkshake.  
"Hell," Bulma replied shortly finishing up her cone and wiping her hands with a napkin.  
"Besides that, what about everything else? It's been years, you can't tell me nothing has happened." Pwar said.  
"I have a son," Bulma looked at her comrade to see the expression that would show upon her face. It was one of utter shock.  
"A uh...you have a...you and Yamcha..." Pwar babbled.  
Bulma giggled, "No, he's not mine really, I just take care of him. It's a really long story, but never mind all that! He's a real good kid, I can't wait until you meet him. He is just so charming...a handful...but charming."  
"I'll take your word for it," Pwar replied, "so what else have I missed out on?"  
"Nothing else," Bulma sighed in depression, "my life is so dull, all I've been doing for the past few years is eat, sleep, watch Spanish soaps on Mondays, PTA meetings, and dates with Yamcha on Friday...and now my whole world has been warped. In a matter of a few days my whole life has changed completely.  
"And it isn't just a break-up, this trauma has made me realize something, I have wasted all these years on nothing. What was one great thing I've done--besides raise Vegeta--that was exciting? Or adventurous? Or made me feel alive? I'm starting over Pwar, and that's that. From now on I'm going to be like you, take risks, live life as it should be lived, men? Ha! I laugh at them! Who needs them!"  
"That reminds me, how's Goku been?" Pwar asked.  
"Oh, he's-uh..." Bulma looked down tapping her fingers together, "he's fine..."  
"But?" Pwar asked, seeing the hidden look in Bulma's eyes.  
Bulma looked up, "Okay, you were bound to hear the whole story sooner or later."  
  
***NOTE*** I'm sorry, this Chapter wasn't very good. Not much action or suspense anywhere, just give me some time, I'll think up something good. Promise. Review and give me some ideas! Or just tell me what you think! 


	6. Chapter 4::Living With The Enemy

Chapter 4  
"LIVING W/ THE ENEMY"  
  
After about a week Pwar took over her old room and stayed with Bulma and Vegeta at the Capsule. She and Vegeta became quick friends, with their similar open-mindedness and crave to make Bulma's future get back on the right track. Now that Pwar stayed as a roommate, she got a job and helped pay for the rent as best she could, but even that could not save Bulma from the debt she had already been in before Yamcha had left. That's where Vegeta came in.  
"Pwar?" Vegeta popped his head into Pwar's room.  
"Payday kid?" Pwar flew over.  
"Yeah, I only got a hundred dollars this week," Vegeta rubbed his sore nose trying not to sneeze, "ya know, cus I was out for most of the week."  
"It's okay kid," Pwar took the money, "I wish you would tell Bulma the truth though, about where this is all coming from. I feel so low taking credit for your hard work."  
"No," Vegeta replied quickly, "you can't tell Bulma that I work afterschool. She'll make me stop and say that it interferes with my homework."  
"Does it?" Pwar asked curiously.  
"Please," Vegeta answered back shortly, "if I wanted to do that stuff I could finish it in thirty seconds--at the most."  
"Why do you do that Vegeta?" Pwar sighed, "You're so smart, why do you portray yourself as an idiot? You're going to get left back with those grades of yours."  
"Because humans don't fear those who are smart, they shun them," Vegeta replied, sneezed, then rubbed his nose, "I'm maintaining a C average, that's enough to get me through high school. I don't need to prove myself to any stupid humans, I know very well that I'm smarter than any of them."  
Pwar sighed again, "Okay Vegeta, now go on and get outta here before you get ME sick."  
Vegeta nodded and stumbled out of Pwar's room bumping into Bulma.  
"Oh Vegeta," Bulma pushed back his hair in a caring motherly way, "are you still feeling sick? Because I can make you more soup if you like?"  
Vegeta slightly blushed as he looked at the warm motherly smile on Bulma's face, "Nah, I'm fine, I feel a lot better now thanks." He said right before sneezing.  
"Nevertheless, I would like it if you got some rest, the house is so chilly, I don't want your cold getting any worse than it is." Bulma walked Vegeta to his room.  
"Yes, Bulma," Vegeta replied and went into his room.  
Bulma smiled to herself and went into Pwar's room, "Let's check the sales Pwar!"  
"No," Pwar replied stubbornly, "I can't believe your even THINKING about selling the Capsule!"  
"I'm just looking at what people are willing to pay Pwar, I'm not selling it---" Bulma went on Pwar laptop and went to the Capsule Corp. website, "--yet."  
Pwar snorted crossing her arms, "Well count me out, I don't even wanna talk about it."  
Pwar flew out the door only to be drawn back by Bulma's screams of shock.  
"What the---?!" Pwar flew in.  
"Lookit! Lookit!" Bulma pointed at the screen.  
"HOLY CRAP!" Pwar shouted staring at the screen, "THAT'S ALOTTA ZEROS!!!"  
  
Vegeta sat in his bed with his ear to the wall like a little child listening to their parent's conversation.  
"Not only would that get us out of debt, but I could build a whole NEW Capsule Corp. and REALLY start my life over!" Bulma exclaimed happily through the wall.  
"Now let's not get ahead of ourselves Bulma," Vegeta heard Pwar through the wall, "let's think about this, why would someone so willingly put up THAT much money?!"  
Suddenly Bulma burst out into giggles Vegeta recognized as the ones the girls in his school gave out when they were completely overjoyed, "Because he's Son Goku."  
"WHAT?!" Pwar exclaimed in utter shock.  
"What?!" Vegeta slammed his head in the wall surprised then rubbed it viciously trying to take away the pain he had inflicted upon himself. From the sounds of it, it had been a lot of money, how was Goku able to get it? "The bastard did it," Vegeta mumbled to himself, "the bastard actually kept this word!"  
So Bulma sold Capsule Corp. to Goku and they made reservations for him to move in, in a bout a month.  
  
"I don't want to move into that blue-haired ladies' house," Goten whined on the way to Bulma's in the Son family's new air-cruiser.  
"Too bad," Goku shrugged, he'd lost all the patience he had for Goten and his little attitude.  
"Too bad?" Goten looked at Goku surprised, "Too bad?! You can't tell me that! Mom wouldn't speak to me like that! She'd make it better! She would make it so I was happy."  
"Frankly my spoiled little brat," Goku steered, "I don't give a damn."  
Goten's jaw-dropped slightly as he looked at Goku, then his cheeks puffed up as he slouched in his seat aggravated.  
"Yes, Bulma going to still be living there?" Gohan asked looking out his side window.  
"Of course, that's why I bought the place," Goku replied as if it were an obvious question.  
"So I guess," Gohan looked ahead, "that means Vegeta will be staying there too."  
"Yep," Goku replied.  
"What fun," Gohan sighed sarcastically slouching in his seat.  
"C'mon you guys, give it a chance," Goku looked at the two boys, "It's better than living in that small little hut. Besides, now you get to have your own rooms."  
"REALLY?" Goten exclaimed happily.  
"Really," Goku nodded.  
"Finally," Goten snorted, "something I can get used to!"  
  
"Au man," Vegeta reclined in the patio chair he was sitting in next to Bulma's as he hold his hand behind his head and crossed his legs on the patio railing, "I can't believe I have to spend the rest of my years here living only a few rooms away from that nitwit Gohan."  
"Thought you guys called a truce?" Bulma looked at Vegeta.  
"Truce, cold war," Vegeta shrugged looking at how the winter was slowly melting away into spring, "same difference."  
Same difference, Bulma remembered and her eyes suddenly darkened, slightly as she though of that day at the airport. She quickly shook it off however, that life didn't matter to her anymore, "It's going to be fun."  
"Fun she says," Vegeta mocked her in his Sayian tongue as he walked into the house, "sure it'll be a lot of fun when I shove my foot up Gohan's ass."  
"What was that?" Bulma called to him, "I couldn't understand you."  
"I said, I can't wait until they get here," Vegeta lied. He seemed to lie a lot to Bulma since he found out the Son family was moving in. Soon after Goku bought Capsule he continued his tutoring job but didn't put in as much hours as he used to. His grades only seemed to be getting worse. If this was supposed to be so good for them, why was it having such a negative effect?  
Bulma sighed looking down at her hands, then she looked up at the sky in search of Goku's air-car.  
Just then a blue air-cruiser came her way, they were here, the son family was finally here.  
  
"Welcome!" Bulma smiled as she opened the door for Goku, Gohan, and Goten. Pwar gave a welcoming smile and Vegeta sat in the background listening to his CD Walkman, he made sure to turn it up full blast so they would notice him and realize he couldn't care less about them.  
Bulma looked at Vegeta uneasily, then turned to Gohan and Goten, you two can choose any room on the second floor.  
"Didn't my Daddy buy this place?" Goten asked.  
"Yes, he did," Bulma replied still smiling.  
"Then who are YOU to tell ME what floor I'm allowed to stay on?" Goten asked quite rudely, "This place doesn't belong to you."  
Goku flared at Goten in Sayian, which he seemed to understand quite well.  
"Fine," Goten muttered heading to the steps, "second floor, I got'cha."  
"Can I make a request though?" Gohan asked Bulma uneasily as he looked at Vegeta from the corner of his eye.  
"Yes?" Bulma asked.  
"Well, first off, is the second floor where everyone's room is?" Gohan questioned.  
"If you're TRYING to ask her if I'm staying on the same floor as you, the answers yes," Vegeta cut in, "the second floor is all bedrooms so that the rest of the building can be used as laboratories, offices, and a habitats for all of our pets."  
Bulma looked at Vegeta and then at Gohan nodding, "That's right, the second floor is the only floor with bedrooms."  
"Oh, then never mind," Gohan said and when up the steps.  
"Well," Goku half smiled, "wasn't that all interesting."  
Bulma smiled and hugged Goku, "Thank you so much."  
Vegeta felt a surge of rage seeing Bulma and Goku so close together and turned his head away quickly. Could that've been the reason why this was having such a bad affect on Vegeta? Because he didn't want to see Bulma and Goku together? And why should he? He adored Bulma, he loved everything about her, everything, she had truly been his mother. Then there was Goku, as hard as he tried, Vegeta could not see the good in Goku as Bulma did. All he saw was a cold-blooded murderer, the vision of all of his worst nightmares, merciless and demonic. That day Goku almost killed Vegeta Goku had even struck Bulma took the ground. How was Bulma so sure he wouldn't do it again?  
Vegeta gritted his teeth and went upstairs as the two friends talked. Pwar tilted her head in curiously and followed him.  
  
"What's up Veggie-head?" Pwar followed Vegeta into his room. She was the only person aside from Bulma who was able to call him that and live to tell about it.  
"I don't like it," Vegeta paced back and forth.  
"Don't like what?" Pwar questioned innocently.  
"I don't like them together," Vegeta sat on his head, "these lousy male humans, one has hurt Bulma already, how is she so sure it won't happen again?"  
"But Goku's not a human Vegeta," Pwar noted recalling the story Bulma told her in the Dairy Queen, "right? So there's nothing to worry about."  
"I don't trust him," Vegeta thought long and hard, "he's a backstabber."  
"WHAT did I tell you about talking about my father?" Gohan stood in the doorway with his arms crossed.  
"What do YOU want, brat?" Vegeta glowered at Gohan.  
"I suppose this is your room," Gohan looked around nonchalant.  
"What's it to ya?"  
"Figures I'd choose the room right across from yours."  
"YOU WHAT?" Vegeta jumped up, "No, you need to get out of there. This is a REALLY big floor, find another room."  
"You find another room, I'm fine right where I'm at," Gohan snapped back.  
"WHAT did you just say? I've lived here for EIGHT years, you can't tell ME to move! This is my room!" Vegeta flared.  
"Boys, boys, settle down," Pwar tried to calm them down but they continued to bicker, "I said, SHUT UP!!!"  
Vegeta and Gohan shut their mouths and looked at Pwar.  
"Better," Pwar cleared her throat, "I don't see why you can't both keep you rooms, it's across the hall Vegeta. It's not like your sleeping in the same room. You two can manage."  
"No way is this loser gonna be living that close to me!" Vegeta pointed at Gohan angrily.  
"I said YOU'LL MANAGE," Pwar started through clenched teeth, "so you'll manage damn it."  
And with that last word Pwar left Vegeta's room to go to her own.  
Gohan and Vegeta exchanged glances then scowled at each other.  
"I'll just keep my door closed," Gohan suggested.  
"Good plan," Vegeta replied, "now get outta my room."  
  
***NOTE*** You can only guess what happens next, I can only guess what happens next, R&R!!! 


	7. Chapter 5::Coping

CHAPTER 5  
"COPING"  
  
Many weeks passed by and yet the tension between the two families didn't descend, only the bond between Bulma and Goku seemed to grow stronger. Goten would lock himself in his room far away from all the others and draw all day. Only coming out to eat and go to school. Gohan and Vegeta's "cold war" became more and more active every passing day. Pwar found herself hoarse with all the yelling she had to do to shut those boys up.  
As for Bulma and Goku, well as said before, they seemed to be getting a lot closer.  
  
Bulma lay in the grass looking up at the sky just has she done so many years ago.  
"That one looks like a cat," she pointed at a cloud.  
"This is stupid," Goku muttered as he did so many years ago.  
"Oh c'mon Goku, it's just like meditating except more fun."  
Goku glared at her, "how is this anything like meditating?"  
"It's pointless," Bulma smiled rolling on her stomach to look at him.  
"Ha, ha," Goku crossed his legs and folded his arms behind his head as he closed his eyes.  
"Why so sour Goku?" Bulma sat on her knees.  
"I'm always sour," Goku looked at her still keeping one eyes open.  
"Not with me you're not," she hugged him making him frown like a disgruntle cat, "I won't allow it."  
"Ahem," Vegeta coughed behind them making the two turn around.  
"Yes?" Goku looked at Vegeta as he sat up in the grass.  
Vegeta looked back at Goku nonchalantly then turned to Bulma, "I'm gonna go out for awhile okay Bulma?"  
"Where?" Bulma stood up and dusted off her khakis.  
"Just for a walk," Vegeta replied, "it's boring here."  
Bulma nodded, "Be back soon though, lunch will be in awhile."  
"Yes ma'am," Vegeta replied and walked out of the white picket fence.  
"He's up to something," Goku muttered not expecting Bulma to hear him.  
"What makes you say that?" Bulma questioned a bit offended on Vegeta's behalf that Goku would be so suspicious.  
"Oh," Goku looked at Bulma realizing he had said that comment out loud, "nothing, its just Saiyans have this look in their eyes when they're plotting something."  
"Ah," Bulma nodded understanding, "yes I've seen it all before, but I'm afraid you're wrong this time Goku, I would've known from the start if Vegeta was up to something."  
"So you say," Goku shrugged.  
"So I know," she smiled looking into Goku's eyes, forehead to forehead.  
  
Vegeta walked down the street of East City with his hands shoved in the pockets of his blue jeans. This sucks, he thought, for the first time in my whole life I don't have a plan. Getting those idiots out Bulma's house should be pie! What's holding me back? I know I'm smart enough to think of something.  
"Maybe," he mumbled to himself, "maybe it's because Bulma seems so happy when Goku's around and I don't want to take that away from her..."  
He quickly rubbed out that thought. Bulma might be happy but that didn't mean this was the right thing. Vegeta refused to trust Goku, never would he, not in a million years. Who can blame him? He was traumatized, as any 8-year-old would've been if he came to a close to death experience. In his eyes Bulma was a Goddess and Goku was well, Satan himself.  
He had to do what was best for Bulma and that was get the Son family out of the house, even if it meant eliminating them one by one. Which wouldn't have been such a bad idea if it weren't so messy.  
"Well if it isn't Veggie-chan!" A familiar voice exclaimed.  
"Shit, not now," Vegeta muttered and turned around to see the ever-happy Trunks staring him in the face.  
"Hey you look a bit down buddy," Trunks blinked looking at the somber look on Vegeta's face.  
"I'm not your buddy," Vegeta grumbled.  
"Sure you are," Trunks slapped him on the back and grinned walking them down the street. Vegeta cautiously checked his back for a "KICK ME" sign and then turned to Trunks glowering.  
"Go away," he barked through his nose.  
"Why?" Trunks blinked innocently looking at Vegeta.  
"Because I don't like you," Vegeta replied honestly.  
"Au, that's too bad," Trunks looked up at the sky ever so innocently, "'cus I wanted to ask you something."  
"What?" Vegeta glared at him curiously.  
"Well I was kinda wonderin'," Trunks tapped his index fingers together as he looked down, "since you helped those kids after school and everything if you could maybe help me out?"  
Vegeta snorted.  
"Au c'mon Vegeta!" Trunks practically begged.  
"That's not my job anymore, there was no point in me doing it in the first place...." he paused, "he wait a minute...how'd you know about that?!"  
"I know because I was supposed to go," Trunks' eyes darkened then he looked at Vegeta pathetically, "but I couldn't! I'd be ruined! But if I don't improve my Math score they're going to kick me off the wrestling team!"  
"Oh...that's too bad," Vegeta replied with obvious fake sympathy, "bye Trunks."  
"No!" Trunks jumped forward just in time to hug Vegeta's leg, "you can't do this to me Vegeta! I NEED you!"  
"Go...a...way!" Vegeta snarled dragging Trunks down the street.  
"You don't understand! I really do need you Vegeta!" Trunks hugged Vegeta's leg tighter. By now people were beginning to stare.  
Vegeta looked around as a sweat drop rolled down his forehead, "if it'll get you off my damn case."  
"THANK YOU!!!" Trunks leapt up and hugged Vegeta.  
Vegeta broke away from him, "Don't DO that!"  
Trunks smiled, "Okay."  
"I want something in return though."  
"Oh?" Trunks blinked with his sheer innocence, "what?"  
"I don't know yet, but I'm not doing anything for free you got me?!" Vegeta snapped.  
Trunks nodded, "got'cha. Anything you need, want, whatever, you'll get it--within reason of course. But this means I get boosted from Ds to As."  
"I'm a Math tutor not a miracle worker," Vegeta cross his arms.  
"Fine, at least a C average, that's all I need," Trunks said.  
"Deal," Vegeta answered.  
"Deal," Trunks put out his hand and they shook on it.  
"Pathetic fool," Vegeta muttered as Trunks ran down the block to the fitness store, "way to happy if you ask me."  
  
Gohan tossed a ball against headboard and caught it as it bounced back at him. He continued this until Bulma and Goku passed by laughing hysterically.  
You know, he thought to himself as he continued to throw the blue handball, if life like this continues...Bulma might be your new step mom...  
He failed to catch the ball and it whacked him right in the eye. He was thankful that the pain washed away his thoughts as fast as it hit him.  
"Owe!" He sat up holding his eye.  
Bulma and Goku peeked in to see what was wrong and he held up the ball with a sheepish smile, "Ball."  
The adults exchanged looks and gave Gohan an unsure grin.  
"You okay?" Bulma asked, "Do you need an ice pack or anything?"  
"No, I'm okay," Gohan replied and they left.  
She isn't so bad, Gohan thought tossing the ball again; it's Vegeta I can't stand.  
  
"Oh and remember the time when Master Roshi pretended to be that Jackie Chun guy in the World tournament?" Bulma sitting next to Goku on her bed as they looked through an old photo album, "Here's the picture I took when you accidentally ripped off his phony wig."  
Goku laughed at the picture, "Yeah, I was trying to keep him from a ring out, I wanted a real fight, but that superglue just wasn't strong enough."  
"And here's a picture Pwar took when that big blue flying dinosaur swept me away," Bulma said less enthusiastically.  
Goku burst out laughing, "you pissed all over yourself."  
Bulma glared at him, "that wasn't funny, it was emotionally scarring...and...Goku...why are you looking at me like that?"  
Goku had been staring deeply into Bulma's eyes as she spoke, but suddenly broke from it, "looking at you like what?"  
"Like you wanted to kiss me," Bulma blurted then turned a certain shade of red.  
Goku blinked at her trying to hold back from blushing. He crossed his arms and huffed, "I was NOT! Why would I even think of kissing a scrawny little brat like you?"  
Bulma felt like a teenager again as she turned and looked down at her lap smiling faintly, "Goku, there's something I've always wanted to tell you."  
"Hmm?" Goku looked at her from the corner of his eye.  
"I uhm," Bulma started then stopped. No, it was too soon.  
"C'mon Bulma," Goku looked at her more seriously then took her hands, "c'mon, tell me."  
"Well uhm," she turned to him looking into his eyes. Was it her or was she sensing a connection? "I just wanted to tell you that I..."  
"Yes?" Goku moved in closer.  
"Well, when I was younger I..." Bulma moved in closer as well, the whole time keeping eye contact with Goku.  
"When you were younger you what?" by now their noses were within a centimeter of touching.  
"Well I..." Bulma closed her eyes about to kiss Goku when her door swung open startling the two.  
"STOP!!!" Goten ran at them and jumped into his father's arms crying, "DADDY!"  
"Goten," Goku held his son, "what's wrong?"  
"Please don't do it Daddy," Goten looked up at Goku tears welling in his eyes as grabbed at his Dad's shirt, "Mommy will come back...I promise Daddy! I promise!" He began to cry on his Dad's shirt, "She'll be back and we can go back to the way things used to be only make it better. Please Daddy?"  
Goku looked at Bulma uneasily and then patted Goten on the back as he gave a reassuring smile, "Okay Goten, we'll wait for Mom."  
Bulma looked down, she knew it was too soon and she knew it wasn't going to be easy.  
Goten thanked his father through sobs and they all went downstairs for lunch.  
  
**NOTE** Isn't Trunks the kyutest little innocent...hey...why are you looking at me like that??? I'm sorry!!! I'M SORRY OK!!! DON'T KILL ME!!! *sob* I tried the best I could! 


	8. Chapter 6::Forces Unite

Chapter 6  
"FORCES UNITE"  
  
"You australopithecine!" Vegeta snarled at Gohan during one of their daily quarrels.  
Gohan blinked, then gritted his as he snapped, "Well...you're more australopithecine than I am!"  
Vegeta put his hands on his hips and let out a hearty laugh, then sneered at Gohan as if he were superior, "I bet you don't even know the meaning of the word."  
"It's probably some stupid Saiyan word," Gohan flared embarrassed and upset.  
"Actually, it's very much human," Vegeta continued to sneer.  
"Listen, I don't care about your stupid fancy words," Gohan barked.  
"It must suck to be so stupid," Vegeta said.  
"Why you...!" Gohan hissed right before he heard someone clear their throat behind them.  
The boys turned around and saw Bulma and Goku standing on the coblestone path.  
"If you guys are going to fight, can you do it somewhere else?" Goku crossed his arms, "We're itrying/i to sleep."  
"We?" Gohan looked from Bulma to Goku, "since when do you need a 'we' to sleep?"  
Goku grew very angry as words began to fluster, "stop trying to be cute Gohan."  
"It was a simple question," Gohan muttered.  
"Well...could you guys just please keep it down, please?" Bulma asked as politely as she could.  
"Yeah, yeah, sure, sure," Gohan folded his arms behind his head quite rudely.  
Vegeta glared at Gohan, but before anything could be said his watch alarm went on and he ran inside screaming, "ROOOOOOAD RULLLLLES!"  
"Moron," Gohan murmured right before Goku shot him an evil look.  
"Well, that should keep it quiet for at least five hours," Bulma smiled at Goku.  
"Hrm? Five hours? That show lasts that long???" Goku asked.  
"Of course not," Bulma laughed going inside, "Vegeta's an MTV junkie, he's going to be a potatoe until dinner."  
"Oh," Goku blinked, then followed her, "Hey! I want some potatoes!"  
Gohan sighed as he walked out the picket fence and down the street, "I'm surrounded by morons."  
  
Goten walked into the living room as Vegeta watched the TV like a zombie. Casually he picked up the remote and without warning turned off the TV.  
Vegeta's eyes widened in horror, then turned a fiery red as he turned to the miniature Goku, "I'LL KILL YOU!"  
"What  
ever," Goten replied, then said, "I have a proposition for you."  
Vegeta turned the TV back on and guarded the remote as he ignored Goten.  
"Listen to me!" Goten demanded.  
"Go away," Vegeta replied annoyed.  
"LISTEN!" Goten shouted again.  
"I said scram pip squeak!" Vegeta yelled.  
"Listenlistenlistenlistenlisten!" Goten threw a tantrum on the floor.  
"FINE!" Vegeta snapped muting the television, immediately shutting Goten up.  
Goten cleared his throat and sat on the couch, "it's come to my attention that you like the idea of Miss Bulma being with my Dad as much as I do--which isn't very much."  
"Yeah...so what? This is a NEW episode ya know, I don't have time for stupidity," Vegeta spoke without intrest to whatever Goten was getting at.  
"Well, since we both see eye to eye on this, why don't we divise a plan to put an end to it?" Goten smirked evilly.  
"How old are you?" Vegeta looked at Goten.  
"Eight..." Goten blinked, not understanding how this had anything to do with what he was talking about.  
"An eight-year-old Earth boy divising plans, well homo sapians get smarter everyday," Vegeta watched at the muted screen.  
"Whatever, look, if we can pull this off our lives can go back to normal and we'll never have to look at, or speak to, or hear each other again."  
Vegeta scowled suddenly, normal. Did this brat honestly think that he could make things go back to "normal"? And even if he could, Yamcha was not going to set one foot in this house again. Not if he wanted to live.  
"I don't want things to go back to normal," Vegeta said without feeling, "I can't say I like things now, but I don't want them to be the way they were, not with what I know now."  
Goten's eyes darkened as he looked down, "Why not?"  
"Because I hate Yamcha."  
"Do you hate my mom for what she's done?"  
"Of course I do," Vegeta replied as if it were obvious and looked at Goten, "I hate anyone who hurts Bulma."  
"That's how I feel about my mom Vegeta," Goten's eyes remained dark as he hugged his knees to his chest, "would you feel the same if your Mom and my Mom switched places?"  
"She's not my Mom," Vegeta said sternly.  
"You know what I meant," Goten said monotone.  
"Yes."  
"Then why can't you understand me!?" Goten flared looking at Vegeta with tear filled eyes, "I believe in my mother...I'm sure that why ever she did this was for a good reason....I'm sure of it!"  
Vegeta blink dumbfounded, what if it had been the other way around? He blinked again to wash the thought away. He was tired of people thinking of the "what ifs" in situations. It is what it is and that's all it will ever be. Bulma would never do what Chi-chi did and Goku's not chomp enough to be like Yamcha. It wouldn't happen. It couldn't happen. And if it did, Vegeta wouldn't be left behind, Bulma loved him--he knew she did.  
Then it dawned on him. Was that not what Goten obviously believed? That his mother loved and cared for him? That she was not capable of this crime and evil? All he wanted was his mother back, as Vegeta would want Bulma back if she had gone away.  
Vegeta looked at Goten deep in thought, "What did you have in mind?"  
  
Bulma brushed her long blue hair as she looked in the mirror of her dresser. Goku snuck in behind her. By the time she realized he was there he had her in a big hug and kissed the top of her head.  
"Goku," Bulma turned to him surprised with his acts of love and affection.  
He smiled and told her to turn back around, then as she watched him in the mirror he said, "I know this is cliché...Titanic sort of stuff...but we've been living together for quite sometime and I just wanted to say--" he took out a silver necklace with a clear round amulet and put it on her as she stared into the mirror in awe. It turned a glowing shade of baby blue as soon as it was on Bulma, "hey it works, that means you're happy."  
One of those silly mood necklaces Bulma thought with a smile and turned around to Goku, "what did you just want to say Goku?"  
That I love you, Goku wanted to say, that I always have; that I admire how you've put up with me all those year. That admire your strength, courage, and the bravery you have when your skills are needed when it's needed the most. I love the way you laugh, the glare you give me when I curse, your sense of humour, the way you talk, the way you walk, the way you...well the way you do everything. I was always afraid you wouldn't feel the same, but I can't hold it in anymore Bulma. With all my heart and being I love you.  
Instead, all that came out was, "I just wanted to say, I'm happy that we're friends."  
"Oh," the necklace stopped glowing as Bulma looked down in slight disappointed. She smiled at Goku and it glowed again, "me too Goku."  
Bulma turned her head to look out the window. Goku leaned in to give Bulma a kiss on the cheek while at the same time Bulma turned her head to him about to ask him something. Before they both could realize what was about to happen their lips met and both their eyes widened.  
Goku flew backwards, wide-eyed and bright red as Bulma blinked as well blushing; the only thing holding her up was her dresser as her knees began to cave.  
"Bulma I...well erm...I uh..." Goku stammered, eventually just fleeing the room.  
How could a small kindergarten kiss make me feel this way?! They both shouted in their heads.  
He smelled good, Bulma smiled faintly as she blushed laying on her bed, and his lips are sure soft...  
  
"Stupid...moron...you idiot monkey!" Goku yelled pacing in his room right before cursing himself out in Sayian, "Not only did you NOT tell her what you REALLY wanted to say, but you freaked out over a kiss a kid Goten's age could top!"  
Goku looked at his red complexion in the mirror and got even angrier with himself.  
"Fine," he shouted at his own complexion, "you want something to freak out over, how about you try this on for size!"  
And he stomped out the door only pausing once to look down at his crotch and say, "and you! You listen to me mister! You better be good! Bulma doesn't need any of your trouble..."  
He knocked on Bulma's door and as she opened it he took her by the hand and pulled her close to him.  
"Goku," Bulma managed to get out wide-eyed with shock write before Goku kissed her passionately just as Goten and Vegeta reached the top of the stairway.  
Goten screamed at the top of his lungs as Vegeta blinked dumbfounded, mouth wide open.  
Goku froze, wide-eyed with his lips still locked with Bulma's (who had no idea what the hell was going on).  
Goten's eyes welled with fury and sadness as he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.  
Goku pulled away from Bulma, "Goten wait..."  
"YOU LIIIIIAR!!!" Goten screamed powering up a ki blast and throwing it at Bulma and Goku. Goku blocked Bulma by standing in front of her. He caught the ki blast in his hands and Bulma stepped aside as the blast pushed Goku backwards. He clapped his hands together and the energy bomb dispersed. Goten growled as he charged at Goku with a flying punch, which Goku easily blocked. Goten began to throw random attacks, but Goku continued to block easily. Then Goten made his last attack and Goku backed up squeezing his bloody nose where Goten had just punched him.   
Goten roared as he ran at Goku and rammed him in the stomach with his head slamming Goku against a wall with all the wind knocked out of them. Goten then ran to his room, eyes dark as tears streamed down his face.  
Vegeta, who had been watching the whole thing, remained dumbfounded as he saw Bulma run over to Goku and tend to his nose. It's not going to work, he thought watching as Bulma mothered Goku, the kid's plan isn't going to work...it's too late.  
  
"I don't know what I was thinking Bulma," Goku said as she cleaned his nose up, "I'm sorry."  
She stopped and looked into his eyes, "it's okay."  
He looked down and shook his head as Bulma cleaned up, "no, it's not."  
She smiled as she placed a hand on his cheek, "it's fine."  
He took her hand and kissed it, and then smiled slightly, "at least you know how I feel about you now."  
Bulma pulled her hand away as she went pale and started out the bathroom.  
"And at least now I know you don't feel the same," Goku muttered looking down.  
Bulma turned around the necklace glowing a passionate blue, "Goku."  
Goku looked up at her.  
She smiled, "I never said that I didn't feel the same."  
Goku blinked as he watched Bulma walk to her room.  
  
**NOTE** still short, but better isn't it??? I hope this makes you people happy!!!! 


	9. Chapter 7::Mother

Chapter 7  
"MOTHER"  
  
Vegeta tossed and turned as he lay in bed, muttering things from long ago as he cried in his sleep. He reached out to no one and suddenly sat up quickly in a cold sweat catching his breath.  
"She's not my mother," Vegeta held his head, "she cares too much to be my mother."  
"Shut up will ya?" Vegeta looked up to see Gohan standing at his door, "we don't care."  
Vegeta glared at him, "What do YOU want?"  
"I want you to shut up, that's what I want, you're keeping me up with your Saiyan ramblings."  
"Saiyan ramblings, I wasn't even talking!" Vegeta protested.  
"Vegeta," Bulma came up behind looking at him worried, "Are you okay?"  
"Yes, I'm fine," Vegeta blinked, "why wouldn't I be?"  
"Because you're saying things in Saiyan and it sounded like you were crying," Bulma replied.  
"Me, cry?" Vegeta gave a cocky grin, "Are you sure it wasn't Gohan you were hearing?"  
Gohan made a face and went back to his room.  
Bulma came over and sat beside him, "Do you want to talk about it?"  
"There's nothing to talk about." Vegeta pulled up the covers he had kicked off during his sleep.  
Bulma looked at him uneasily as if she were about to say something, then bit her lip in nodded in a small voice, "Okay Vegeta, sleep tight."  
"'Night Bulma," Vegeta replied as Bulma went back to her room.  
For the longest time Vegeta just sat there in his bed looking out the window. He hadn't had that dream since he began to live on Earth. He looked at the moon absent-mindly thinking until a thought so absurd, so unheard of popped into his head. Vegeta shook his head and laid back in bed trying to get back to sleep, but the thought wasn't going away. Could this be some sort of sign or something? Was it really true? Was Vegeta's father actually looking for him?  
Startled by the idea at first, Vegeta began to laugh. If his father really wanted him back he would've been able to find him years ago. Besides, even if his father were looking for him--it'd just be a waste of time. Vegeta liked it here and he liked Bulma taking care of him. She was more of a parent than both his real mother and father had ever been--put together.  
  
"Man Vegeta, you look terrible," Trunks commented the next day during their tutoring session, "you ok?"  
"I'm fine, now let's go over the Pentagram Theorem one more time," Vegeta said disgruntled.  
"You sure? You have bags under your eyes...did you sleep much?" Trunks pestered him.  
"If you must know, no I did not Trunks, in fact I didn't get ANY sleep, so can we please get this damn thing over with so I can go home?"  
"Why would you go home on a great day like this Vegeta?" Trunks motioned to the sunny day outside of his room's window.  
"So I can smash my head in a wall until I pass out," Vegeta stared out the window.  
Trunks blinked, "Why?"  
"So I can finally get some sleep."  
A sweat drop rolled down the side of Trunks head and he began to work on the practice sheet Vegeta had given him.  
  
"He kissed you twice?!" Pwar bubbled flying around Bulma excited as they walked down the city street.  
"Yep...well actually," Bulma walked into the mall, "the first time was kind of an accident."  
"Oh please Bulma!" Pwar squealed.  
"Really! You should've seen how bright he turned, I've never seen Goku turn that colour before...he was like a little kid," Bulma went into a daze remembering yesterday with a faint smile on her face.  
"And the second one?" Pwar asked.  
"Well...that one was even more surprising than the first! He just took me in his arms and kissed me!" Bulma exclaimed.  
"Ha!" Pwar huffed, "I knew it! I knew it the whole time! Ha ha ha! Once again I am RIGHT!"  
Bulma crossed her arms and looked at Pwar with a cocked eyebrow.  
"I always knew he liked you back, but you never wanted to listen to me," Pwar gave a superior grin.  
"Yeah, yeah," Bulma laughed then looked down.  
"What is it Bulma?" Pwar flew around her again.  
"It's Goten," Bulma began to explain as she got on the escalator and stuck her hands in her pockets, "he saw us...Vegeta too..."  
"Uh oh," Pwar said.  
"I know...you should've seen the look on Vegeta's face! And Goten...he wanted to kill us! LITERALLY!"  
"That kid has problems."  
"Don't say that Pwar...this is a hard time for him."  
"I still think he has problems," Pwar muttered.  
Bulma continued to look down, "last night Vegeta had a nightmare."  
"So what?" Pwar raised flew into a store.  
"He never has nightmares," Bulma muttered.  
Pwar let out a heavy sigh, "Oh c'mon Bulma...everyone has nightmares!"  
"Not Veggie-chan, he hasn't had a nightmare since the first few weeks I took care of him."  
"So what has that gotta do with you?" Pwar looked at some jewelry.  
"Everything!" Bulma pulled out a blue and green sweater, "He's like my son."  
Pwar sighed again and flew over to Bulma, "hey...your necklace is glowing black now!"  
"Huh?" Bulma looked down at the mood amulet, "oh...this is the mood necklace Goku gave me yesterday..."  
"What does black mean?" Pwar asked.  
"I'm sad..." Bulma replied.  
Pwar felt bad for her friend then gave a big smile, "C'mon let's go get some ice cream from Ben & Jerry's!"  
The necklace immediately turned a baby blue, "Okay!"  
"So what do you think is going to happen now?" Pwar questioned eating her ice cream.  
"What do you mean?" Bulma finished hers.  
Pwar wiped her mouth after finishing her cone, "Well...it's pretty obvious now that you and Goku share the same feelings for each other...what are you going to do now?"  
Bulma shrugged and looked down, "He has two kids Pwar...I'm 18 years too late...and it's not exactly like I can go out with him...he's still married to Chi-chi."  
"Bulma! You tell that man you love him or I won't give you a moment of peace until you do!" Pwar threatened.  
"But Pwar--"  
"NO! Since you were ten years old Bulma, since you were TEN, you've been telling me how cute he was and how much you like him and yadda, yadda, yadda," Pwar flared, "it's driving me CRAZY! Now finally, you know he feels the same...and yet...here you are running scared! Life throws us only so many chances to get what we want Bulma. If you let those chances slip away you'll never get anywhere."  
Bulma looked down.  
"Things happen for a reason Bulma, maybe this is a sign that you and Goku were meant to be--maybe it isn't, but you've gotta at least try," Pwar stated.  
Bulma nodded, "You're right Pwar...but it's too soon."  
"He kissed you for crying out loud!"  
"Not for him, for ME," Bulma looked at Pwar, the necklace glowing a bright yellow, "I don't want to get hurt again Pwar..."  
"Goku's not gonna hurt you Bulma, you know that..." Pwar spoke softly.  
Bulma looked down, "I know that...but what if Goten's right...and Chi-chi comes back...things will go back to the way they were before and Goku and I may never speak to each other again."  
"Live for the moment Bulma," Pwar said and Bulma blinked looking up at her, "deal with that problem when it comes...have fun now."  
Bulma grinned, "okay Pwar..."  
  
"C'mon Dad! You're slacking off!" Gohan shouted at his father as they trained.  
"I'm sorry Gohan," Goku sat down an the floor of the Time Chamber, "my heart's just not in it today."  
"Then where is it?" Gohan sat across from Goku.  
"Where is what, son?" Goku looked over at him.  
"Your heart."  
"With Bulma, where ever she is," Goku folded his arms behind his head and laid back in a daze.  
"WHAT?!" Gohan crawled over and looked down at him, "You can't be serious...Dad...."  
"Oh yeah...you weren't there yesterday," Goku closed his eyes as if he were about to take a nap, "go ask Vegeta."  
"He's out."  
"Then ask Goten."  
"He looked himself in his room."  
"Oh yeah," Goku opened his eyes sadly, "I kissed her."  
"Kissed who?"  
"Bulma."  
Gohan stood silent for the longest; unsure on whether he should be shocked, angry, or sad.  
"I felt I should be honest with you Gohan, I wasn't completely honest with Goten and now look what happened."  
Gohan remained dumbfounded.  
"C'mon Gohan," Goku sat up, "at least say, 'okay' or 'I hate you' or something."  
"I dunno what TO say..." Gohan said then stood up and left.  
As he walked to his room he heard a banging noise in Vegeta's room. He walked in and saw giant holes in all the walls and there was Vegeta sitting on the floor slamming his head against the wall.  
"What the hell are you doing?!" Gohan snapped.  
Vegeta banged his head again and created yet another hole, "stupid weak wall."  
"VEGETA!"  
"WHAT?!" Vegeta shouted.  
"What'er you doing?" Gohan asked.  
"Trying to go to sleep," he started banging his head against the wall again.  
"By giving yourself a concussion?!" Gohan flared.  
"Why do you care so much?!" Vegeta snarled.  
"Because your rock hard head is making it hard for me to concentrate," Gohan replied.  
Vegeta only started slamming his head harder.  
"You're such an idiot."  
"I'm an idiot?!" Vegeta stopped.  
"That's what I said wasn't it?!"  
Vegeta gritted his teeth and stood up, "I'm not the idiot Gohan! You are!"  
"How'dya figure that?"  
"'Cus you're always acting like a freakin' jackass," Vegeta snapped.  
"Jackasses and idiots are two different things," Gohan started out Vegeta's room.  
"Oh shut up," Vegeta growled right before a funny sound started up.  
Gohan turned around, "what was that?"  
"I said shut up," Vegeta repeated.  
"Not that moron," Gohan came back in the room listening for the sound, "it sounds like a radio."  
"So it's a radio...so what?" Vegeta raised an eyebrow.  
Gohan looked around and dug under a pile of clothes, "Damn Vegeta...when was the last time you cleaned this room?"  
Vegeta shrugged, "when I was...10?"  
"Figures," Gohan muttered, "hey there's a table here!"  
"Hmm? Really?!" Vegeta ran over to Gohan where he was looking at a little nightstand.  
"What's this thing?" Gohan picked up Vegeta's old scouter, "hey wait a minute..."  
Suddenly the scouter began jabbering in Saiyan, "Lord Vegeta...Lord Vegeta are you alive? Lord Vegeta."  
"Lord Vegeta?" Gohan repeated.  
Vegeta backed away from the relic of his past, "throw it away Gohan."  
"Hmm?" Gohan cocked an eyebrow deviously then spoke into the scouter in Saiyan, "Yeah, he's here. Wassup Saiyamen?"  
Vegeta's eyes widened in horror as he grabbed Gohan around the neck, "YOU IMBOCILE!!!"  
"Lord Vegeta!" the scouter exclaimed, "You ARE alive!"  
Vegeta slammed his hand over Gohan's mouth.  
"Drop it Gohan," Vegeta whispered in Gohan's ear.  
Gohan did so as Vegeta dragged him out of his room.  
"Kami Vegeta, what was that all about?!" Gohan knocked Vegeta off of him once they got out of the room.  
Vegeta slammed the door shut and scowled at Gohan, "Thanks a lot asshole."  
"What?"  
"Now they're going to come for me!"  
"Who?"  
"Who the hell do you think? God you're stupid," Vegeta went downstairs.  
Gohan went after him, "Vegeta, I don't understand."  
"You wouldn't," Vegeta took the magnet notepad from the refrigerator and began to jot down something.  
"Vegeta..." Gohan pestered.  
Vegeta glared at Gohan, "you aren't going to leave me alone are you?"  
"No, not really," Gohan replied.  
"Did you notice how they called me Lord Vegeta?" Vegeta continued to write.  
"Yeah."  
"That can only mean one thing."  
"What?"  
Vegeta stopped writing for a second, "my father is dead."  
"Oh..." Gohan trailed.  
"I guess he never had another child after me if the sayians are desperate enough to turn to a dead guy for leadership," Vegeta finished writing.  
"Dead guy?"  
"I always wondered why they never came for me," Vegeta pinned the notepad back on the refrigerator and opened the cookie jar, "turns out...they thought I was dead."  
"How do you know?" Gohan questioned without looking at the note.  
"Forgive me Bulma," Vegeta whispered before taking out money from the jar, "I know because of the shock in their voice when you told them that I was alive." He glared at Gohan, "Thanks to you, the Sayians are coming."  
"Isn't that what you've always wanted though? To go back?" Gohan watched ask Vegeta walked out of the kitchen.  
Vegeta stopped for a second and whispered, "not anymore."  
Gohan read the letter as Vegeta ran upstairs to his room.  
Gohan's eyes widened as he ran after Vegeta, "Vegeta you can't!"  
"Isn't this what you've always wanted Gohan?" Vegeta packed up some of his stuff and stuffed the chattering scouter towards the bottom of his big black leather drawstring bag, "To get rid of me?"  
"But Vegeta," Gohan started, "Bulma will--"  
"Have you Goku and Goten to watch over her," Vegeta's eyes darkened as he slung the bag over his shoulder and started out the door, "I won't let the Sayians use her as a pawn to make me their leader.  
"I won't let you go Vegeta," Gohan blocked the way.  
"Move it," Vegeta barked, eyes still darkened.  
"You'll have to kill me first," Gohan clenched his teeth.  
Vegeta then jabbed Gohan in the side of the neck leaving him unconscious on the floor, "as nice as killing you would be Son Gohan, I cannot do that."  
  
Vegeta pulled his black motorcycle out of the garage after making a call on his cell phone. He took one last look at Capsule Corp. before turning his CD player on full blast and taking off down the street.  
Goodbye my home, Vegeta said in his mind as he put the bike on the highest gear thinking of how he grew up in that house, I promise--I will return. Until then, survive Bulma...I know you can without me.  
No sooner had Vegeta left; Bulma and Pwar parked their hover car in the garage.  
"Was that Vegeta?" Pwar asked getting out.  
"I think it was," Bulma replied then noticed Vegeta had taken the motorcycle, "well it's about time he used that thing. I got it for him a few years ago and NOW he decides to ride it. Better late than never I suppose...I just hope he remembered to wear his helmet."  
Pwar sighed and followed Bulma in.  
When Bulma got upstairs the first thing she saw was Gohan laying on the floor outside of Vegeta's room.  
"What the..." Pwar blinked.  
"Oh my goodness," Bulma ran over and kneeled beside Gohan patting his cheek, "Gohan get up! Gohan!"  
Goku walked out of the time chamber and saw the tiny little crowd at the end of the hall. When he realized it was Gohan lying on the ground he immediately ran over.  
"What happened?!" Goku kneeled beside his son.  
"He's out cold duh," Pwar replied.  
Goku then realized Vegeta wasn't there, "Where is he?"  
"Who Goku?" Bulma watched as he stood up.  
"It's pretty obvious Vegeta's the one who did this!" Goku exclaimed.  
Goten peeked out of his room.  
"Goku!" Bulma stood up surprised.  
Goku rolled his eyes, "Please Bulma the proofs right in our faces!"  
Gohan blinked his eyes coming to, and then he sat up shouting, "GOTTA STOP! SCOUTER! SAYIANS! RUN KITCHEN RUN! NO RUN! STOP BULMA! VEGETA NO! Nononononononononono--"  
Pwar smacked him across the face, "SNAP OUTTA IT!"  
With swirls in his eyes Gohan collapsed backwards, falling out of consciousness yet again.  
Everyone blinked in silence until Goku let out a heavy sigh, hoisted Gohan over his shoulder and brought him into his room.  
"Sleep for now Gohan," Goku laid him on his bed, then left Gohan's room, "tell us everything later."  
When Gohan awoke it was already nighttime, it was too late.  
"BULMA!" He shouted running out of the room.  
  
Dear Bulma;  
Let me just start by saying, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything I did to get on your nerves, or make you agitated. I'm sorry for eating all the food in the refrigerator. I'm sorry for never doing my chores or cleaning my room. I'm sorry for not trying to get good grades, sorry for purposely getting bad ones. I'm sorry for lying to you--I'm really sorry for that--even though the lies were small, they shouldn't have ever been told. But most of all Bulma, I'm sorry I have to write this letter...I really am.  
Let me just say thank you. Thank you for everything you've given me, taught me, and shown me. Thanks for caring for me when no one else would. Thank you for saving my life, thanks for giving me a life, thank you Bulma. Thank you for taking care of me when I was sick or just needed someone to listen to someone to help or talk to me (though I was reluctant to ask). Thank you for being a good mom Bulma, you've taken care of me better than my mother ever did or could...being that she killed herself when I was 3. I'm sorry I never told you about that...Most of all Bulma...thank you for watching over me. I had never known the meaning of the words love and kindness until I met you.  
I have to go now Bulma...don't worry I'm not going to kill myself--not unless I have no other choice to protect this planet from the evil that is about to befall upon it. I never understood why Goku would go against his own people to save this planet until the moment I realized they were returning. This time, they're coming for me and when they do I can't have them using you against me. That's why I have to run away Bulma.  
Perhaps one day we'll meet again...  
I'm very sorry this had to happen now...of all times...but it has.  
Goodbye,  
Vegeta  
  
Bulma sniffled trying to hold back tears as read the letter on the couch. She stared at the blank TV as if watching all the memories she had with Vegeta were playing back at her. The day she saved his life, the first day he came to live with her, his first day at school, the day he got expelled, his second first day of school, and so on. When she started to think of the day he got his haircut, him in his McDonald's uniform, and all the recent memories he began to cry.  
She held her face in her hands and let out a loud sob.  
The Son family watched sadly, unable of what to say or do.  
Then the least likely of them all sat beside Bulma and pat her on the back, "It's okay miss Bulma."  
Bulma stopped crying surprised and turned to see Goten sitting beside her with a sympathizing, yet understanding grin. Her lip began to tremble right before she hugged Goten tight and began to once again sob.  
  
Vegeta lay back in the desert sand looking at the moon; it'd be two more days until it was full. That's when they would strike, he was sure of it. His mind slowly slipped away from the thoughts of the Saiyans and went to thoughts of Bulma. Funny, when he was with her he couldn't stop thinking of the Saiyans and now he couldn't stop thinking of her. When he took care of the Sayians he would return home and live with her again. He would because she was his mother...it didn't matter that she wasn't Saiyan or blood related to him. She was his mother because she loved him like a mother. The woman he was born from no longer mattered. When he returned home he would no longer yell at people who referred to Bulma as his mother, he wouldn't do anything.   
As he thought of the future and of better days Vegeta slipped into a deep sleep of the past and memories he wished to forget. 


	10. Chapter 8::Come Home

Chapter 8  
"COME HOME"  
  
NOTE: I'd just like to say thanks to all my loyal readers!!!! It's because of you guys who R&R that keeps me wanting to update this story! I just hope I don't screw up...I'd really hate to disappoint you guys! Well...enough of my babbling...on to chapter 8!!!!  
  
Two days passed by without any trace of Vegeta. Where could he have gone? Where could he be?  
"I want to know WHY!" Bulma shouted one day, her sadness had turned into anger, her anger into rage. She picked up a glass vase from the living room and smashed it against the wall right before breaking down in tears, "Why did he have to run away?!"  
Gohan looked down, he needed to tell her the whole story, he just had to, "Bulma."  
Bulma stopped and looked at Gohan standing in the hallway.  
"There's something I haven't told you yet," Gohan averted his eyes.  
"What?"  
"About Vegeta."  
"What about Vegeta?!" Bulma stood up desperately.  
Gohan sat down on the couch, "Well...the reason he left was because of the scouter."  
"The scouter? What scou--" she stopped, "he still has that?!"  
"Yes, and it began to speak..." Gohan dared not tell her he was the one who told the Sayians Vegeta was alive, "and they heard Vegeta and I talking and so now they're coming to take him back to the Saiyan planet. He doesn't want to go back so he ran away."  
"But why? Goku could've easily beaten them!" Bulma just couldn't understand.  
Maybe because he hadn't thought of that, Gohan thought but said, "I think he wants to do this on his own. And he said something about not wanting them to use you against him..."  
"Like in the letter," Bulma exclaimed.  
"Yes, I guess he's afraid that they'll kidnap you and do what they did to my father and I to you and Vegeta," Gohan figured, "which makes perfect sense actually..."  
"Gohan!" Bulma snapped.  
"I mean!" Gohan looked up at her, "That's all I know."  
Bulma sniffled, "Okay..."  
"I'm sorry I couldn't stop him Bulma...I tried," Gohan turned away ashamed of himself.  
"I know you did Gohan," Bulma went upstairs to her room and locked the door. Within seconds "I Will Survive began to play. It just wasn't the same this time around though. She looked at the ceiling as she lay in bed, eyes glazing. As cliché as it may sound, let the truth be told, boyfriends come and go, but friendships--true friendships, they're forever. And Vegeta was more than just a friend--he was family.  
Someone knocked on the door and Bulma immediately sat up and wiped her tears.  
"Coming," she turned her music on low and ran to the door. There Goku stood outside her door with an unsure look on his face.  
"You okay Bulma?" He asked.  
She rubbed her eyes, "who me? Yeah."  
He smirked, "Good 'cus I was gonna ask you...well if you're feeling alright with it," he scratched the back of his head nervously, "if you'd go on a walk with me or something."  
Bulma smiled warmly.  
"I mean...Vegeta obviously has his own plans so there's no sense in us sitting around waiting for him to return...who knows how long that may be," Goku said.  
"You're right," Bulma nodded walking out closing the door behind her, "at least this time I have a promise that he'll return...I hope he does."  
"Don't worry Bulma," Goku smiled down at her as she took his arm, "he will."  
  
"I feel guilty Goku," Bulma averted her eyes from the beautiful starry sky as they walked down the street.  
"Why?" Goku blinked turning to her.  
"Because, when Yamcha went away I could barely walk better yet stroll down a street," Bulma began to explain, "and now Vegeta's gone and here I am gazing at this beautiful sky walking at your side."  
"That's because these are two different situations entirely," Goku started, when Bulma looked up at him curiously he continued, "When Yamcha left he was abandoning you, never to return, it was to hurt and spite you. When Vegeta left it was the complete opposite. Just think of it as him going to college."  
Bulma smirked holding on to Goku's arm, "college...right. With those grades! Please...and then I find out he could've done better the whole time?! When that boy comes back I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind!"  
Goku laughed and they continued on their walk.  
"Goku," Bulma started up a little later, "why did you kiss me?"  
"Hmm?" Goku stopped short.  
"Well...there had to be a reason..." Bulma said innocently.  
"Well umm," Goku began nervously, "maybe we should start going back..."  
"Goku," Bulma wouldn't budge as Goku attempted to walk back, but was unable to since Bulma had his hand, "do you love me?"  
"Love...you..." Goku trailed looking back at her with a dazed expression.  
Bulma let him go and averted her eyes to the ground, of course he--  
"Yes."  
"What?" Bulma thought out loud shocked.  
Goku smirked taking Bulma's hands as he gazed into her eyes, "I do love you Bulma, very much, I always have."  
Bulma felt her knees begin to cave, "you...have?"  
Goku continued to give one of his infamous smirks as he kissed her hand, "yes."  
"Oh Goku!" Bulma wrapped her arms around Goku's neck giving him a big hug right before her knees caved completely. Goku laughed as he helped her back on her feet and continued on their walk.  
I just hope that boy has learned something in his years here, Goku thought with a somber face, I would hate to have to kill him if he tried to take over the Earth again.  
  
"I'm not in danger of dying here am I?" Trunks asked Vegeta after Vegeta explained the whole story to him. He had spent a whole day trying to find Vegeta and now that he had--he kind of wish he hadn't.  
"You'll be outta here before they even get here," Vegeta finished up his letter right before the two boys were foreshadowed by a giant spacecraft, "or not."  
Trunks began to tremble, "They're probably going to hold a laser gun to my head and threaten to kill me until you agree to be their leader again."  
"Not likely," Vegeta folded the letter and handed over to Trunks.  
"Hmm?" Trunks blinked sticking the letter in the inside pocket of his denim bolero.  
"They wouldn't waste their time," Vegeta stood up, "I couldn't care less about you."  
"So nice to know you care," Trunks said sarcastically as he got out his hover board.  
Vegeta turned to him, "No Trunks, take my bike instead."  
"Why?" Trunks put on his helmet after jumping on the hover board.  
"It goes ten times faster then that piece of floating drift wood and besides," Vegeta smirked, "I need you to take care of it while I'm away."  
Trunks blinked and jumped on the shiny black bike, then took off into the night, "Bye Vegeta."  
"Bye Trunks," Vegeta whispered as the spacecraft finally landed.  
Vegeta's eyes narrowed as he watched the door of the spaceship slide open with a poof of smoke and three figures submerge.  
Vegeta half grinned as the figures came into view. As much as he despised the thought of leaving Bulma, seeing the Sayians again thrilled him, "well hello men."  
The three Sayians stared in utter disbelief. It was the youngest one, Turlus--a Goku look alike, who spoke first.  
"Wow! Is that scrawny little Vegeta!? Man you've grown some," Turlus circled around Vegeta, "yep, you sure have." He laughed and punched Vegeta on the shoulder, "Lookin' good kiddo!"  
"Eh heh," Vegeta grinned sheepishly rubbing his shoulder.  
"Enough Turlus!" A sayian that looked like an older version of the Goku look-alike, "Goddamn, I can't take you anywhere!"  
Turlus rolled his eyes and stood by his father.  
"Oh Vegeta!" The bald one, Nappa, bowed at Vegeta's feet, "We are so happy to see you alive and well."  
"I'm sure..." Vegeta replied looking down at Nappa with sarcasm in his voice, "let me guess, my father has died and you've come to take me to be the new King."  
"Not exactly," Turlus' brother Bardock said, "Vegeta-sei is under siege and we need every Sayian we can find to help us fight."  
Vegeta blinked puzzled, "How can that be? Sayians are the strongest beings in the universe! How can we be under siege!?!"  
They all stood there unable to answer.  
Vegeta may have wanted to stay on Earth, but he'd always have the heart of a Sayian and the love for his planet.  
He slung his bag over his shoulder, "Well what the hell are we waiting for?! Let's go dammit!"  
"We knew we could count on you," Bardock grinned, then added, "what about Kakkorot...you never reported back...we thought you were dead!"  
"Kakkorot..." Vegeta trailed thinking of Goku as he started to walk to the ship, he turned to Bardock and said, "I'm sorry Bardock, but Kakkorot is dead."  
"Oh," Bardock's eyes slightly darkened, "well let's go then."  
"Maybe after we take care of these bastards you can stick around Vegeta," Turlus put a hand on Vegeta's shoulder as they all went into the ship, "you don't know how thrilled the King was when he found out you were alive."  
Vegeta smiled slightly, "maybe I will..."  
  
"Bulma I'm hungry," Goku whispered as he watched TV with his arm around Bulma, "...Bulma?"  
He looked down and saw Bulma sleeping soundly beside him.  
"Oh..." he whispered and grabbed a pillow, then gentle laid Bulma on it and got up. He quietly went out the room softly saying, "'night Bulma."  
"Goodnight Goku..." Bulma murmured in her sleep with a faint smile on her face.  
  
  
Bulma awoke the next morning to the smell of something burning. The first thing she thought was, oh no! The house is on fire! She collected herself and ran to the kitchen were the burning smell seemed to be coming from.  
There Goku stood staring exasperated at a pan of blackened eggs.  
"How do you burn eggs?" Goten criticized.  
Goku gave him an evil glare right before noticing Bulma, "Oh hey Bulma! Look I made breakfast!"  
He showed Bulma the eggs as a drip mark rolled down the side of her head.  
"He'll poison us all!" Goten exclaimed.  
"Shut up Goten!" Gohan berated, though he was thinking the same thing.  
"That's great Goku," Bulma smiled uneasily.  
Goku let out a heavy sigh and tossed the whole pan in the garbage, "C'mon let's go to Denny's."  
"I'll live to see another day!" Goten ran out the door.  
"Not if you don't shut up," Goku barked through clenched teeth.  
Bulma couldn't help but giggle. The Son family was a pretty cool family to be around when they weren't thinking about how much they absolutely loathed each other.  
"Does it havta be Denny's?" Gohan pouted.  
"Oh brother," Goku rolled his eyes, "do you WANT those eggs? 'Cus I just changed the garbage bag...they ARE still edible."  
Gohan stared at him with eyes half shut, "depending on your definition of edible."  
Goku clenched a fist as his temple pulsed, "just get dressed will ya? I'm making up for my lousy cooking skills by taking you guys out, so be grateful."  
"I am grateful," Gohan walked out the kitchen, then called from the steps, "this is me being grateful!"  
Bulma laughed, "Your boys are so...so cute!"  
"Shh..." Goku put a finger to his lips, "don't say the 'c' word."  
"'C' wor...cute?" Bulma tilted her head.  
Goku winked, "Guys only take that as a compliment from hot girls they like."  
Bulma rolled her eyes smiling, "oh brother."  
"So, you're going in your jammies?" Goku stated.  
"What?" Bulma looked down at her clothes, "oh no. I'll go change now."  
She smiled and went upstairs.  
"Done!" Goten jumped from the top of the stairs soon after, perfectly landing in front of Goku.  
"Hey! You're dressed like me!" Goku exclaimed admiring the fact that his son was wearing the same denim jeans, white shirt, denim jacket, and backwards cap he had on.  
"Of course," Goten smirked, "you're my Dad, I look up to you," he crossed his arms, "even if you can't cook."  
"Eh heh," Goku chuckled with a drip.  
"Besides, all that being mad and hating you stuff is getting really boring. And all those angry pictures are just no fun to draw anymore," Goten put in.  
"Angry pictures?" Goku tilted his head.  
"Uhm...never mind..." Goten scratched the back of his head as Gohan ran down the steps.  
"Done." Gohan said as he reached the landing.  
"Now all we have to wait for is Bulma," Goku told his two boys.  
"Coming!" Bulma exclaimed sliding down the railing.  
Goku caught her at the end and raised an eyebrow, "Don't you think you're a bit old to be doing that?"  
Bulma beamed standing up, "you're never too old to be a kid Goku, ain't that right boys?"  
"Right!" Goten cheered taking Bulma's hand.  
"Ugh, spare me," Gohan rolled his eyes and they all headed out.  
"Well, you're being a lot friendlier," Bulma smiled down at Goten as they walked to the hover car.  
"I figure, you and I have a lot in common," Goten looked up at her, "and we understand each other."  
"Oh?"  
"Yeah," Goten nodded, "and everyone needs at least one person who understands them right?"  
"Yes, I guess you're right," Bulma agreed.  
"I AM right," Goten gave one of his father's cocky grins.  
Bulma giggled, "Yes you are."  
"HEY!" Pwar flew out of the house like lightning, "How dare you forget about ME!"  
"Oh Pwar, you're up," Goku smiled.  
"Yeah! And I'm hungry!" Pwar flew into the hover car once everyone buckled up.  
The others laughed as Goku took off.  
  
"This isn't any fun anymore Chi-chi," Yamcha sat by the edge of a gigantic pool in the backyard of an even bigger mansion that made the 1 mile swimming pool look like a puddle.  
"For Kami's sake!" Chi-chi swore relaxing in a pool floaty, right before chucking her pina colada right at Yamcha's head--which he immediately dodged, "All you do is whine, whine, whine. I think I did Bulma a FAVOUR by taking you with me."  
Yamcha sighed sadly and kicked at the water, "Don't you miss them in the least bit Chi-chi? I mean...you had two sons?"  
"So what?" Chi-chi spat as she rang the bell for her butler.  
"So...doesn't that mean anything to you?"  
"Not really," Chi-chi laid back in her floaty and relaxed in the pool once a waiter brought her another pina colada.  
"But..." Yamcha stopped and looked down at the water.  
"Listen Yamcha," Chi-chi looked over her sunglasses, "in life it's all for one and none for all. You have to make sacrifices to get ahead in life. Baring those two brats just happened to be mine." she took a sip of her drink and sighed, "I'm pretty sure Ronan and Jolen are capable of taking care of themselves."  
"Gohan and Goten," Yamcha corrected.  
"Whatever," Chi-chi replied.  
Yamcha shook his head and stood up, "I've had enough of this!"  
"Enough of what Yamcha?" Chi-chi asked innocently.  
"Enough of you!" Yamcha pointed at Chi-chi accusingly, "I refuse to be in a relationship that's going nowhere! The only person you care about is your own goddamn self and I'm sick of it! I'm sick of you! You're so selfish if I were to die right now you'd probably say something along the lines of 'well, now I have to get a new toy' and toss me in the bushes somewhere! You're a goddamned bitch and the part that I hate most is you're proud of that!"  
Yamcha started towards the mansion.  
"Yamcha where are you going?" Chi-chi pulled herself to the side of the pool and crawled out.  
"I'm going home!" Yamcha snapped.  
Chi-chi ran in front of him stretching her arms out in front of him, "silly Yamcha, you are home."  
"I'm going back to Bulma," Yamcha glowered at Chi-chi.  
"Oh," Chi-chi stepped aside and watched Yamcha stomp inside, "yes, I'm sure she's going to welcome you with open arms--especially after you ripped out her heart and stomped it into little pieces."  
Yamcha stopped.  
"And for her ex-best friend's wife," Chi-chi laughed wickedly, "priceless! Simply priceless!" She clapped her hands, "Yamcha, if you can prove to me that that girl will still love you after all this, I will commend you."  
Yamcha's eyes darkened, Chi-chi was right, Bulma would never forgive him. Just like he could never forgive his fiancée for running off with another guy so soon before their wedding.  
"Just remember Yamcha," Chi-hi said seductively, "she'll never do it like I can," she grabbed his face and made them meet eye to eye, "and she'd never go passed her limits to make you happy."  
Yamcha turned away, he just wanted to go home to Bulma and Capsule Corp. None of this nonsense. This plan was backfiring right in his face, why had he been so stupid?  
"Yamcha, baby, please," was Chi-chi begging? "don't do this baby," she wrapped her arms around his neck, "I love you."  
Yamcha pushed her away, "You need to have a heart to be capable of love Chi-chi...now if you'll excuse me I'd like to be by myself for awhile."  
"You'll forgive me Yamcha!" Chi-chi shouted as Yamcha went up the steps, then muttered, "I'll make sure you do. There's no way I'm going to let you sell me out to Goku because of your weak heart."  
  
"Hey...HEY! Watch the ears!" Pwar shouted as Goten and Gohan gave her a doggy bath.  
"Hush Pwar," Goten scrubbed between her ears, "dogs don't talk!"  
"Yeah Pwar," Gohan added, "You agreed to help us practice for when we opened our dog washing business."  
Pwar muttered as she was washed and scrubbed, "well don't expect a tip."  
Goten and Gohan laughed as they rinsed Pwar off with the hose.  
Bulma giggled as she watched, sitting beside Goku, "be careful boys, Pwar isn't one to let something like this go by without getting her revenge."  
"Darn straight," Pwar told them as they dried her off with a towel.  
Gohan and Goten blinked and looked down at the fuzzy blue cat blinking.  
"I can vogue for that," Goku crossed his arms as he thought back to his childhood, "One time I tossed Pwar at this blonde haired lady so I can get the dragonballs back from'er...later that day--"  
"Later that day what Dad?" Goten blinked crawling over to Goku.  
Goku turned away melodramatically, "It's so horrible...I...I don't want to talk about it."  
Gohan looked down at Pwar and pet her nervously, "Nice kitty...good kitty..."  
Pwar smirked evilly and bit Gohan's hand hard.  
"AHHH!" Gohan jumped up and began to run around trying to shake Pwar off, "now her venom will sink into my veins and I'll be her whipped kitty slave for the rest of my life!"  
Goten fell over laughing as Bulma and Goku stared wide-eyed.  
Gohan let out one last scream before collapsing on the floor with swirls in his eyes.  
"Okay Pwar, you've gotten your revenge, now let the boy go," Bulma said with a firm smile.  
"He tasted bad anyway," Pwar flew in the house.  
Gohan glared evilly at Goten as he continued to roll on the floor laughing.  
"Gohan's...scared of...a CAT!" Goten said through laughs.  
"Ha, ha," Gohan drummed his fingers on the ground, "I should've known Dad was just tryin' to scare us."  
Goku snickered as he stood up and stretched, "I think I'm going to train a bit."  
"I wanna train too Dad," Goten jumped in Goku's arms.  
"Yeah me too," Gohan stood up.  
Bulma sighed, "So I guess that leaves me all alone."  
"You can train with us if you want to Bulma," Goku offered.  
"No thanks!" Bulma went inside, "I'd die if I came out smelling like you guys do."  
The Son family blinked, sniffed under their arms, and then shrugged to each other.  
"Not me," Bulma went on sitting on the living room couch, "I'm going to sit back, relax, and watch some soap operas!"  
"Soap operas?" Goku practically spat, "If you're going to be lazy at least watch something decent!"  
"You aren't MY father Goku," Bulma snuffed turning on the television, "you can't tell me what to do."  
"I'm not telling you what to do Bulma, I'm just saying," Goku tried to explain, "you have a life of your own...why do you have to spend it watching other people's melodramatic lives that don't make any sense what-so-ever?"  
"I watch it because their lives are more miserable than mine," Bulma beamed at Goku, "which makes me feel better about myself."  
Goku looked exasperated, "that...wasn't exactly the answer I was looking for."  
"I know, but that's all you're getting!" Bulma turned back to the TV, signaling the conversation was over.  
Goku sighed heavily and went up the stairs after telling the boys, "c'mon guys, this chick is giving me a headache."  
Goten and Gohan chuckled as they followed their father.  
  
That night, while everyone was sleeping Goten wrote an entry in his journal;  
Dear Journal;  
The suckers are falling for it, they're actually falling for it! They all think I'm on their side--they couldn't be more wrong. First, I'll get them to trust me and wait until we're all real close. Then, when they least suspect it I'll carry out my plan. First I'll do something that'll make Dad really mad at Bulma. Maybe stain his favorite shirt or something (small stuff I know, but I have plenty of time to think up what would make him mad at her). From the argument they had on soap operas today, getting them mad at each other shouldn't be too hard. Bulma doesn't seem to like it when Dad puts down the stuff she's into. Well, there's plenty of crap she's into that sucks, so that just makes my job even easier.  
Once they're mad at each other I plan on telling them evil things that they said about each other behind their backs. Of course, they'll never catch on. Who'd expect sweet little innocent Goten to be behind their feuding? Since Vegeta's gone now there's no one stopping Dad from kicking Bulma straight out the house. And that's exactly what he's going to do.   
The last part of my plan is mom coming back and we're all living happily in this nice big complex. I don't have to worry about that. I'm sure Mom's on her way home right now. Hey wait a minute...what if she goes home...sees we aren't there and doesn't know where to go? That'd be a problem...she might think we abandoned her and leave again...NO! Think of something Goten...NOT ONE PAPER! Ugh...why do I always do this? Okay, I know, I'll write a letter to mom and then tomorrow I'll ask Gohan to take me back home after school. I can't ask Dad because he might catch on...Gohan's stupid though so it's okay.   
This plan couldn't go any better! Well...I shouldn't say that because this was the easy part...I don't want to jinx it after all...  
Well, I'm tired.  
Later Journal,  
Son Goten 


	11. Chapter 9::Mission Completed

Chapter 9  
"MISSION COMPLETED"  
  
"HEY! Hey Gohan!" Trunks ran after Gohan and Goten the next day afterschool.  
The brothers turned around and waited for Trunks to catch up to them. He ran in front of them, and then doubled over catching his breath.  
"What is it Trunks? I really have to drop off Goten so I can pick Videl up," Gohan rushed his friend.  
Trunks collected himself and pulled the letter Vegeta had given him out of his bolero pocket, "Veggie-chan sends his reguards."  
"What?" Gohan exclaimed taking the letter, "This is from Vegeta?!"  
Trunks stopped Gohan as he began to open it, "Vegeta said you can read it, but only AFTER Bulma has."  
"That figures," Gohan snuffed sticking the letter in his pocket.  
"Promise not to read it Gohan," Trunks said seriously.  
"Yeah, yeah," Gohan looked at his watch, "AWWW MAN!!! I'm so LATE! Videl's gonna be pissed!!!"  
"Well I could take Goten home if you want," Trunks offered, "it might save you some time."  
"Really?! Thanks Trunks! Bye guys!" Gohan exclaimed, handing Trunks back the letter, and without any other reply he took to the air and flew off.  
The otherwise disgruntle Goten glared up at Trunks, until an idea dawned on him. He hadn't been able to get Gohan to take him back to the Son house, but Trunks was so gullible, surely he would.  
"Hey Trunks..." Goten began innocently as they started to walked back down the street to Vegeta's motorcycle.  
"Yeah Gohan?" Trunks looked down at the little boy.  
"Do you think we can go back to my house, I mean, my old house?" Goten asked, "I really miss it...and it'd be so cool to see it again!"  
"Well..." Trunks looked at the time.  
"Please Trunks?" Goten hugged Trunks leg.  
"Well, alright," Trunks beamed patting Goten on the head, "Anything for my lil' amigo."  
"Thanks Trunks," Goten smiled.  
"De nada," Trunks winked putting on his helmet and handing Goten the helmet he used for his hoverboard.  
  
Goten ran into the old Son house. It was dark and dust was already beginning to collect. He looked around for the perfect spot to leave the letter. He finally decided the kitchen table would be the best spot and left.  
"Ready?" Trunks asked looking down at Goten as he came out of the house.  
"Yep," Goten nodded to Trunks who was leaning up against the house with his arms crossed.  
"Cool," Trunks grinned hopping on the bike.  
See you soon Mom, Goten thought as they took off back home.  
  
Bulma watched TV and laid her head on Goku's shoulder as they sat on the couch. Only, she wasn't really watching TV, she was thinking of the future...or an alternate future, where Goku was her husband and they had three sons Vegeta, Gohan, and Goten. Even though they were married, Goku and Bulma were as much in love as they were the day they said "I do." Gohan'd probably grow-up to be a secret service agent, Goten a lawyer or some sleezy business profession, he had the brains for it. Vegeta...well, Vegeta would be one of those rock hard rebels who never seems to get any older. Maybe he'd become a security guard to keep back all the crazy groupies at rock concerts.  
They'd have more children if Goku was up to it, Bulma knew she was. As long as it was with Goku. The next one would be a girl, Bulma hoped, with Goku's attitude and Bulma's looks she'd be able to take over the world if she wanted! But wouldn't, because she'd be against imperialism.  
Bulma was so caught up in her dream world she hadn't noticed Goku trying to nudge her off his arm.  
"Hey Bulma," Goku said softly, "I know you like the company, but I've really gotta go!"  
"Oh," Bulma sat up, getting off of Goku, then giggled a bit, "sorry Goku."  
Goku jumped up and ran to the bathroom, just as the sound of a motorcycle pulled up into the driveway.  
"HUH?!" Bulma stood up suddenly, she remembered that sound, the same engine she heard that day Vegeta went away. It seemed so long ago now, but it couldn't be...she ran out of the living room crying, "Vegeta!"  
  
Trunks parked the black motorcycle in the driveway of the garage, got off, and took off his helmet shaking out his hair. He then helped Goten down and with his helmet.  
"Well here we are," Trunks put the spare helmet in the back compartment of the bike just as Bulma ran out of the house looking around frantically.  
Goten cocked an eyebrow as she looked at the blue-haired lady, "Bulma?"  
Trunks turned around, "Oh hey Ms. B!"  
Bulma blinked, "Tr-Trunks right?"  
"Yep," Trunks beamed, "howdja know?"  
She looked at Trunks' hair and thought back to the McDonald's incident, "Lucky guess."  
Trunks smiled and pat Goten on the head, "Well, I brought your pip squeak back. Sorry it took so long, we took a detour."  
"YOU had Goten?" Bulma came over and took Goten's hand, "we thought Gohan had let him tag-a-long on his date."  
"Like THAT would ever happen," Goten snorted, "dates are boring."  
Trunks chuckled and looked at Bulma, he saw her staring with furrowed brows at the bike, "Somethin' the matter Ms. B?"  
"Isn't that...Vegeta's bike?" Bulma blinked continuing to examine the bike.  
"Oh yeah," Trunks remembered the letter and handed it to her, "Vegeta wanted me to give you this."  
"What?!" Bulma snatched the letter seeming to be rude with all her excitement and immediately opened it, "You're in contact with Vegeta?!"  
"No, this was just a favour I owed him," Trunks looked down, "Last time I saw him he was ready for this Sayian spaceship to land."  
Bulma read the letter, her excitement slowly fading away into a sad somber look. Her eyes glazed.  
"Bulma," Goten tugged on her pajama bottoms concerned.  
Bulma sniffled and stifled tears with a smile she gave to Trunks, "Thank you very much Trunks."  
Without a hint of curiousity Trunks bowed his head and flipped his hoverboard and helmet from the back of the motorcycle, "Twas nothin' Ms. B. Now I better go! I havta watch Bra tonight!"  
Bulma nodded and patted Goten on the head, "Come Goten, you don't have to go to bed until Gohan comes home, but you should get ready."  
"Okay, hold on," Goten said as Bulma went in the house. He ran over to Trunks, "Hey uhm...Trunks."  
"Yeah?" Trunks looked down at him as he jumped on the hoverboard.  
"Can you bring Bra over tomorrow? I don't have anyone my age to play with and it gets real boring around here."  
Trunks smirked, "No problem kid."  
  
Bulma looked at the clock on the cable vcr, it was almoset 12 o'clock and Gohan wasn't home yet.  
"Goku," she turned to Goku concerned, as Goten sat sleepily in her lap, "does Gohan usually stay out this late on dates?"  
Goku shrugged, "I trust him, he's a samrt kid and besides, this is why I only let him go out on Fridays."  
"But what if something happened to him?" Bulma asked concerned.  
Goku tapped his head and winked, "I can sense his ki remember, I'll know."  
"Hmm," Bulma sat back skeptically, then looked at Goten who was slowly falling asleep in her laugh, "how 'bout I tuck you in?"  
"No," Goten crossed his arms spitefully sitting up as if he were wide awake, "I'm not tired."  
"Well, then I can read you a story," Bulma hugged him, "isn't that better than watching all these boring old shows."  
Goten looked up at her, "You'd read me a story?"  
"Sure," Bulma smiled, "any one you want."  
"Really?" Goten asked excited.  
"Yeah," Bulma replied, "I have a whole bunch of them from when Vegeta was little. Most of them are adventure types because he refused to listen to any others...he refused to go to bed too, but that changed when I told him he wouldn't get any breakfast if he slept late."  
Bulma giggled and Goku began to laugh, "A Saiyan Prince being told bedtime stories! Now THAT'S funny!"  
"So how 'bout it Goten?" Bulma smiled warmly at the little boy.  
Goten sat dumbfounded as he stared into Bulma's motherly blue eyes, in all his eight years he had never once been read a story. Never once been tucked into bed either.  
He grinned and nodded, "Yeah, okay, s'long as I pick the story."  
"You got it," Bulma beamed patting him on the head, then helping him off of her so she could stand up, "say g'night to your Dad before you leave."  
"'night Dad," Goten took Bulma's hand and together they walked out of the living room.  
Goku chuckled and leaned back once they left.  
  
"...the end," Bulma finished and looked over at Goten. He was in a deep sleep snuggled under his blankets. She smiled and stood up placing the book on her chair. She then tucked him in and kissed his forehead, "goodnight Goten, sweet dreams."  
She shut off the light and left. She left the door open a crack so that it left a slither of light across the floor. Once Goten felt the coast was clear he opened his eyes and allowed them to adjust to the darkness. He pulled his journal and a flash light out from under his pillow.  
He held the flashlight in his teeth as he wrote.  
Dear Journal;  
With the help of Trunks I was able to plant the letter. Now all I have to do is wait for mom and tear Bulma and my father apart. I've been thinking though...maybe kicking Bulma out isn't nessasary. I mean, she's not SO bad. She did read me this cool story about a band of pirates who went out in search of lost treasure, and she did tuck me in and kiss me goodnight. She let me sit in her lap too...mom doesn't really like to be touch. Bulma isn't such a bad cook either...she can stick around and be a nanny or something when mom returns. I feel kind of bad for her, with Vegeta going away and all, she and I can relate. She cares about Vegeta a lot, you can tell...  
I probably won't make Bulma and Dad HATE each other, just not LOVE each other. Bulma's a nice person and a good friend. I think after this is all over I want her to still be around to talk to. She makes me feel...well I don't know...iloved/i  
Well, I think I'm going to catch some Zs.  
Later Journal!  
Son Goten.  
  
"You have a real way with kids Bulma," Goku took Bulma's hand and pulled her into his lap as soon as she walked back into the living room.  
She smiled and said, "well after raising Vegeta as long as I did, it feels like I've been raising a whole school of children."  
"That is why Saiyans and Humans don't mix," Goku told her knowledgably.  
She blinked and looked down, "Oh they don't huh? So I guess there's no chance for you and me."  
Goku smirked and kissed her on the cheek, "Just because I have the blood of a Saiyan, doesn't make me one. Kakkorot died a long time ago. If anything could keep us from being together, it's that damn bitch."  
Bulma's eyes darkened, "Goku."  
"What?" Goku held back the angry thoughts of his run-a-way wife, by looking at Bulma.  
"You cursed," Bulma she said softly.  
Goku covered his mouth, "sorry."  
"No biggy," Bulma smiled at him, Goku noticed that the corners of her eyes were slightly moist like she was holding back tears. She began to get up, "well it's late and I'm tired, see you in the morning."  
"Hold on," Goku grabbed the back of her pajama bottoms and pulled her back down.  
"Goku!" Bulma exclaimed pulling up her pants as she sat on Goku's lap.  
"Now what's wrong?" Goku asked disreguarding her surprised tone.  
"Nothing's wrong," she turned her head away.  
"Liar," Goku hugged he around the waist, "c'mon Bulma, you can tell me."  
"Goku," Bulma said again, this time more irratated. She stood up, eyes darkened, "I just wanna go to bed okay?"  
Goku blinked puzzled, then nodded. Bulma descended from the room and ran to hers leaving Goku alone and confused.  
What did I do? Goku wondered shutting off the tv. He stood up and stretched, deciding to go outside and wait for Gohan. He was surprised to find Gohan sitting on the stoop when he got outside.  
"Oh hey Gohan," Goku sat beside his oldest son, "how long have you been out here?"  
"Not to long," he whispered and looked up at the sky, "I went in and came back out. The sky was just too majestic to pass up tonight."  
Goku nodded looking up at the clear starry sky, then quickly realized something, "oh, you came in? I didn't hear you."  
"Yeah," Gohan looked down at his hands.  
"Something wrong Gohan?" Goku questioned innocently.  
"Do you love Bulma Dad?" Gohan looked at Goku as if he was pained by the idea.  
"Why?"  
"Because..." Gohan turned away, "I just don't want you to make the same mistake twice."  
Goku raised his eyebrows, "same mistake?"  
"You know," Gohan shrugged, "I just don't want to go through this again."  
"What again, Gohan?" Goku wasn't comprehending.  
"This, all this," Gohan replied getting annoyed.  
Goku sighed and shrugged, "Yes I do love her Gohan."  
"Are you sure?" Gohan gave him the look again.  
"Yes, I'm sure," Goku nodded.  
"But how can you be? I mean, how can you know?" Gohan questioned.  
Goku shrugged, "You just do."  
"But...you thought you loved mom right? So...how can you be sure that you love Bulma?"  
"I did love your mother Gohan," Goku looked down, "or rather...I loved the person I thought she was."  
"Huh?" Gohan tilted his head cruriously.  
"It's a hard thing to explain Gohan," Goku said, "hopefully you'll never have to understand."  
Gohan blinked, then looked back at the stars, "Well, how do you know it's not the same with Bulma?"  
Goku leaned against the door, "I just do."  
"But how?"  
"You'll understand one day," Goku replied.  
Gohan shook his head childishly, "but I want to understand now!"  
Goku sighed, "Videl, you love her don't you?"  
Gohan's cheeks turned bright red as he averted his eyes to the ground quickly, "well...yeah."  
"Does she love you back?" Goku folded his arms behind his head.  
Gohan nodded.  
"How do you know it's true?"   
Gohan shrugged, "I dunno...the feelings I have for her in my heart I guess."  
"Exactly," Goku smiled resting his eyes.  
Gohan looked over at Goku, many more questions floating in his head, "if this is true, and you've always loved Bulma, then why wait until now? Why didn't you just dump mom and go to Bulma?"  
"It wasn't that easy Gohan," Goku replied shortly.  
"Yes it is, all you had to say was 'screw you bitch I love Bulma,' and then that's it."  
Goku opened his eyes with a sad expression, "that's not what was hard Gohan. I was afraid."  
"Afraid? You?" Gohan blinked in astounishment.  
"Yes," Goku said in a low tone, "I was afraid that if I confronted Bulma she wouldn't feel the same and would be too ashamned to be my friend anymore."  
"That's stupid," Gohan interrupted bluntly, "true friends don't do that."  
Goku's cheeks flushed a little with anger, "yeah well, there was also the fact that i wasn't sure if I truly loved her...I am a guy you know."  
"What has that gotta do with anything?"  
"Guys don't appreciate what they have until it's gone," Goku stood up, "everyone knows that."  
"BS!" Gohan exclaimed standing up, "That's not true at all!"  
"It is for me," Goku went inside, "but I'm looking to change that."  
Gohan followed and locked the door behind him.  
"Hey Gohan," Goku began, "why did you ask all those questions?"  
Gohan glanced at his father then back at the door to make sure he had bolted all the locks, "I've been picking up vibes between you, and Goten told me that he caught you guys kissing, not to mention the fact you were flirting with her just a few minutes ago." He turned and started upstairs to his room, "If you're trying to hide your affection, you're not very good at it."  
Goku chuckled, "I was never really good at keeping secrets."  
"I sugggest you just do it Dad," Gohan looked at his father from the top of the stairwell, "I mean, if you love her as much as you say there's no point in trying to hide it for me and Goten's sake. You only live once right?"  
Goku smirked, "I suppose you're right."  
Gohan smiled and headed to his room, "'night Dad."  
"'night Gohan," Goku answered.  
  
Bulma laid awake in the darkness of her room, she hugged her pillow tight and snuggled her head into trying to sleep. All she could think about was Goku though. How could he be so stupid? How could she be so stupid? How could he ask her what was wrong when he knew very well what the problem was?   
They could never be together, never, and it was all because of that damned wedding band around his finger. She squeezed her eyes tight trying to hold back the stinging feeling. If he loved her so much, why hadn't he given her his heart? Why had it been that other woman? Did he really find it easier to commit his love to some stranger than his one true love?  
Unless, Bulma's eyes widened, unless the only reason he was showing her this affection was because he was on the rebound.  
"No!" Bulma squealed grabbing another pillow and smushing it against her head, as if that could block out the wicked thoughts that vexed her.  
He wouldn't have said those things, he wouldn't have kissed her, he wouldn't look at her the way he did if that were true...would he? No...he couldn't. If his intentions were untrue, she'd know. She'd known Goku way too long to not be able to tell when he was lying.  
But would her own feelings blind her from the truth?  
"Stop it!" Bulma cried out unable to hold back her tears any longer, "Stop! Stop! Stop!"  
Light filled the room as a voice whispered, "Bulma?"  
Bulma was sobbing now.  
"Bulma!" the voice exclaimed and ran to her, before she knew it she was in Goku's arms crying on his bare chest, "Bulma, what's wrong?"  
She sniffled and hugged him as tight as she could, Goku held her close trying to comfort her.  
After awhile she was able to speak, "please Goku, please don't use me."  
"Use...you?" Goku repeated baffled rubbing her back in an attempt to calm her down, "but Bulma I would never--"  
"Goku," she croaked, her throaty now itchy from all her crying, "just promise me."  
"I promise, that the day I do wrong to you Bulma is the day I prey King Enma steals my soul and throws it into HFIL," Goku swore.  
Bulma smiled faintly with a little sniffle.  
"Better?" Goku whispered.  
Bulma nodded and Goku let her lay back in bed. He stood up to leave, but Bulma stopped him, "please don't leave me...I'm afraid to be alone with myself."  
Goku turned to her cocking an eyebrow, "Are you sure that's a smart decision? Letting a guy stay in your bedroom, better yet, your bed?"  
"I trust you," Bulma answered in a raspy voice.  
"You're smarty than that Bulma," Goku smirked.  
"I just need someone to protect me from myself."  
Goku sighed and laid down beside Bulma hugging her, "you're intitled to kneeing me in the balls if I get any wise ideas."  
"I'll remember that," Bulma laughed and snuggled in close next to Goku soon falling asleep.  
Goku kissed her forehead and soon fell asleep himself.  
  
NOTE: Don't worry, this IS NOT going to turn into a lemon! 


	12. Chapter 10::Food, Love, & Confusion

Chapter 10  
"FOOD, LOVE, & CONFUSION"  
  
Bulma rolled over in bed and slowly opened her eyes the nest morning. Her eyes came into focus as the last bits of her pleasant dream faded away. When her brain was functioning right she sat up and looked for Goku but he wasn't there. She lied back down a little disappointed; he had probably waited until she had fallen asleep before leaving. Yet, she did recall laying her head on his chest, his breathing soothing to her ears and she did remember waking up close to dawn still sleeping in his arms--but where was he now?  
Then she heard a loud crash from downstairs and Goku yelling profanities. That could only mean one thing...Bulma jumped out of bed and didn't bother changed out of her pajamas as she ran out her door and down the steps. Just as she had suspected, when she got down stairs thick black smoke was pouring from the kitchen.  
Bulma walked in saw Gohan and Goten sitting at the kitchen table, Gohan seemed nervous and Goten seemed embarrassed. Bulma looked at Goku who was putting out a fire on the stove with an oven mitt.  
"DIE!" He slapped the fire and it went out.  
Bulma giggled behind her hand and approached him, "Goku?"  
"Bulma!" Goku turned around startled.  
"What are you doing?" she asked as if she didn't know.  
"Trying to kill us all," Goten stated.  
"Hush Goten," Gohan hissed, even though his eyes agreed with his younger brother.  
"I made breakfast!" Goku held out a pan with what looked like, or at least WAS, pancakes.  
"You made charcoal you mean," Goten wisecracked.  
"Shut up Goten before he makes you EAT that stuff!" Gohan berated.  
Goku glared at them and slammed the pan on the table, "just because you to have big mouths, you're gonna eat this stuff and you're gonna LIKE IT!"  
"I will never eat your vile poison!" Goten stuck out his tongue making a cross with his fingers.  
"I'll eat it Dad...if I have no other choice," Gohan stated, "as for LIKING it, that's a whole different story completely."  
"Awww c'mon," Goku scooped a piece up with his hand, "it only looks bad on the outside!"   
To prove his point Goku stuff the crusty pancake in his mouth. Almost immediately after chewing it his face turned blue, as his eyes got squinty.  
"So tell us Dad," Gohan smirked, "how much do YOU like it?"  
"Shut up and go to the car," Goku swallowed bitterly.  
"Why?" Goten asked.  
"We're going out to eat."  
"But Goku I could--" Bulma started, but was hushed when Goku took her hand and kissed it smiling at her and looking directly into her eyes with a certain gaze she couldn't decipher.  
He winked and smirked as he lead Goten out of the kitchen, Gohan close behind, "my treat."  
Bulma blinked then smiled following them out, "You'll have to give me time to change though."  
"You look cute in your PJs," Goku looked back at her with a sly little smirk on his face.  
"Goku I'm not going to go out in public in my sleepwear!" Bulma put her hand on her hips as Gohan and Goten walked out the house.  
"C'mon Bulma," Goku took her around the waist and pulled her to him live, "live a little."  
Bulma blushed as she looked into Goku's black eyes, seeing the same expression from before. She knew what it was, he wanted her, "what has looking like a fool have to do with living?"  
Goku shrugged and took her hand taking her out the house, "Let's find out!"  
"Goku!" Bulma exclaimed firmly but giggled as she ran out barefoot on the pavement, "I don't even have shoes!"  
"Then," he swept Bulma off her feet and held her in his arms, "I'll carry you."  
Bulma put her arms around Goku's neck to hold her up, "restaurants have no socks, no shoes, no service rules ya know."  
"Hmm...that's right," Goku turned to the door of the house.  
"What is Dad doing?" Goten spat wincing at his dad.  
"He likes her," Gohan smirked.  
"WHAT?" Goten shot a wide-eyed look towards Gohan, "la-LIKES her?"  
Gohan laughed as if he knew something Goten didn't and patted Goten on the head, "You'll understand when you're older."  
OLDER? Goten panicked inside his head, but when I'm older...it'll be too late!  
When Bulma and Goku disappeared inside the house that's when he really began to really flip out, "Gohan...Gohan, where are they going?"  
"Dad's probably just going to let Bulma change," Gohan stared out the window patiently.  
"Why does he have to come with her?" Goten questioned nervously. Gohan shrugged un-interestered and Goten sat back uneasily, he could feel something vile turn in his stomach.  
  
"C'mon Bulma," Goku stood outside Bulma's closed door with his arms folded behind his head, "I'm hungry."  
"Will you hush," Bulma came out in long overalls snapping the last strap, "Ha! This time I did it all by myself!"  
Goku chuckled and then grinned, "Can we go now?"  
"But of course!" Bulma giggled and slid down the stair rail.  
  
Goten shot Bulma and Goku secret suspicious glares as they drove down the street in the city.  
"So where are we going," Gohan asked playing with Vegeta's GB Advance he found in the seat cushions.  
"Dunno," Goku replied shrugging, "I guess we'll drive around until we find a Denny's or something."  
"Orrrr we could just go to our old hang out," Bulma looked at Goku, "they still have all you can eat."  
"Are you sure about that?" Goku laughed a little, "Now it'll be 3 sayians eating them out of business instead of just one."  
"It's gotten a lot bigger since then."  
"Well...okay," Goku nodded and quickly turned a corner.  
"What are you guys talking about?" Goten cocked an eyebrow, "What hangout?"  
"You'll see," Bulma and Goku said in unison.  
  
They parked in front of the old restaurant and got out.  
"Wow," Goku looked around, "you weren't kidding."  
The small little restaurant that had once been Goku, Bulma, Pwar and later Chi-chi's eating spot had grown so large it took up the entire block and even gained another floor.  
"Guess businesses been good," Goku admired the building.  
"Yep," Bulma went in.  
"Hello," A waitress smiled, "how many will we be serving today?"  
"Three adults and one child," Bulma smiled.  
"Sure," The waitress beamed then saw Goku, "ohh..."  
"Is there a problem?" Goku blinked.  
"You have to pay 5 dollars extra."  
"Whaa?" Goku blinked again.  
"You're son Goku aren't you?"  
"Yeah."  
"5 dollars extra," The waitress demanded.  
"Heh," Goku took out his wallet, "guess they remembered me."  
"Guess so," Bulma giggled as Goku paid the waitress. The waitress brought them to a table on the first floor, gave them their menus and left, "It's still a rip off for them in the long run."  
"That is why I'm leaving a tip," Goku smiled.  
"So uhm..." Goten pushed away the crayons and kiddy menu the waitress gave him, "what do we do now?"  
"Well let's see," Goku looked at his menu, "Breakfast, Brunch, and Lunch on the first floor--heh. Dinner, Salad Bar, and Desert on the second floor...well help yourself guys!"  
"We just take the food we want?" Goten exclaimed.  
"Well yeah," Goku answered as if it were obvious.  
"Honestly bonehead, don't you get out?" Gohan clunked Goten in the head with his elbow.  
"Owe," Goten rubbed his head glaring at Gohan, "No you moronic loser, I thought that was a given?"  
"Well, let's go," Gohan got up and went to the buffet, Goten followed reluctantly.  
"Aren't you eating?" Goku got up then looked at Bulma who was looking around at her surroundings.  
"Yeah," Bulma got up in pushed in her chair.  
  
"Wooow," Goten rubbed his full belly, there were so many plates they had to pile them on the floor, "I don't think I've ever eaten so much in my entire life!"  
"I'll say," Gohan patted his own stomach, "man that was good."  
"Ah ha!" Bulma exclaimed, "This was the original restaurant!"  
"Huh?" The Son family looked at her.  
"The was our booth right there Goku," Bulma pointed to one by the window.  
"Oh yeah!" Goku lit up and point to another booth, "That's where we sat when I brought you here for your 16th birthday."  
Bulma nodded and pointed to the booth they were in, "and here--" she stopped and wiped her hands over the surface of the table.  
"Here was where you first met Chi-chi," Goku said softly.  
"I wanna here," Goten squealed, "how'd you meet Mom, Dad?"  
Bulma looked up curiously, she never heard the story of Goku and Chi-chi's meeting either.  
"It's really funny actually," Goku thought back, "she was fighting with this guy in the park, they seemed to be dating or something, and then he pulled a knife on her."  
"Oh my," Bulma covered her mouth.  
"Then what Daddy?" Goten sat up interested.  
"Well I had to stop him of course," Goku said, "well let's just say that guy'll never bother Chi-chi again."  
"Hmm," Gohan sucked down a milkshake, "did mom ever say why she was being harassed?"  
"No, she didn't want to talk about it after that."  
"Hmm," Bulma propped her head on her hand, "well, are we done here?"  
"Yep," Goten stood up and stretched, "ah, cramp."  
Everyone laughed and they went on their way.  
  
"So where are we goin' now?" Bulma smiled as they walked down the street disregarding the parked air car.  
Goku shrugged and looked at the boys, "Where do you guys wanna go?"  
"AH!" Goten exclaimed, "Trunks was gonna bring Bra over today! What if they come over and we're not there and then Bra thinks I don't like her!"  
"Chill Goten!" Gohan exclaimed shocked at Goten's interest in girls at such a young age.  
"Doomed! Doomed! DOOMED!" Goten dropped to his knees pulling his hair as everyone blinked staring at him wide-eyed.  
"Chill out lil' guy," A familiar voice spoke and Goten looked up turning beat red. There Trunks stood with a one-sided grin, next to him was his little sister Bra looking down smiling with a faint blush on her cheeks.  
"Bra," Goten laughed nervously standing up.  
"Hi Goten," Bra looked at Goten, and then stared back at the floor.  
"Hee hee," Trunks laughed and then whispered to Gohan, "reminds me of you and Videl."  
Gohan turned red and yelled at Trunks, "Shut up Trunks!"  
Bulma laughed and took Goku's hand looking up at him, "So what now?"  
"We let the kids lead the way," Goku replied looking down at her.  
The group continued walking down the block and Bulma couldn't help, but notice Goku continuously staring at her from the corner of his eye.  
"What is it Goku?" she asked him.  
"It's nothing," Goku answered, "I'm just excited I guess."  
"About what?"  
"Us," he gave that dashing smile Bulma always fell for.  
"What about us?" Bulma continued, stopping to gaze at his smile.  
Goku kissed her hand, "I love you, ya know that Bulma?"  
Bulma smiled warmly, "yes I know."  
Goten stopped and looked back at Goku and Bulma. As he watched he noticed something in his father's expression he had never once seen before.  
What's that look in his eye? Goten wondered, He never looked at mom like that before...he seems...happy...  
"C'mon Goten," Gohan called, "keep up."  
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," Goten ran after the others.  
  
Dear Journal;  
Maybe I don't know much about love--alright, I know I don't know ANYTHING about love--but today as I watched Dad and Bulma together something overcame me. Even if they don't truly love each other, they're still happy with one another. I guess...maybe sometimes...my parents were happy...when I was little...but as I think about it I can't really remember a time. They had to have loved each other though! Or else...Gohan and I wouldn't exist, right? Then again, maybe it's MY fault, I mean I don't have any younger siblings...maybe after I was born Mom and Dad stopped caring about each other...  
No, I can't think like that. I'm just so confused right now. I want my Dad to be happy, but at the same time I want my family to stay together, and it seems I can't have them both, so what CAN I have? Do I except the fact that my mother and father can no longer be together or do I stick to my plan and eliminate Bulma? Do I really want to do that? WHY am I even questioning my actions?  
If I take Bulma out of the picture then my family will be together again and Dad will be miserable--BUT--if I don't do anything Bulma might become my new mom and Mom will be all alone without a family. I'm so confused. What to do? What to do? What to do? I'm only a little kid! I shouldn't have to be worrying about these things!   
Looks like my plan is going to have to take a little break until I figure out what I REALLY want.  
Write you later,  
Goten  
"Goten," Bulma knocked on Goten's door as he shoved his journal under his pillow.  
"Come in!" He laid back on his bed.  
"Would you like me to read to you again?"  
"Nah," Goten grinned, "I'm alright."  
"Okay," she tucked him in and kissed his forehead, "good night."  
"G'night Bulma," Goten said as she left.  
  
**NOTE** -_- uhm...uh...Oo me thinks it's time I ended this! R&R 


	13. Chapter 11::A Few Years Later

Chapter 11  
"A FEW YEARS LATER"  
  
"KYAAAA!" Vegeta roared blowing the head off the last remaining enemy.  
"Vegeta we did it!" Turlas cheered, "We took out every single one of those bastards!"  
Vegeta breathed heavily and then smirked, "Was there ever a doubt that we could?"  
"Hell no! Not with you on our side!" Nappa exclaimed holding his bleeding arm.  
"You did well Vegeta," Bardock put a hand on Vegeta's shoulder, "your father is proud of you Vegeta."  
"Thanks," Vegeta replied. Over the years he had matured into a great Sayian warrior and key fighter in the Sayian War.  
"Now it's time though," Bardock began seriously, "for you to make a choice."  
Vegeta's face grew somber. Would he return to the Planet Earth he had grown to love? Or would he stay on his mother planet and live out his so-called destiny of becoming King?  
  
"7th grade already Goten," Bulma pinched Goten's cheek, "you're growing up so fast."  
Goten smiled bashfully as she hand him his lunch.  
"Now you better hurry up so you can pick up your girlfriend," Bulma punched him in the shoulder playfully referring to Bra.  
"Aw Bulma," Goten rubbed his shoulder blushing.  
"Well get going," Bulma opened the door, "and don't forget your helmet!"  
"Yeah, yeah," Goten put on his navy blue helmet before jumping on his air bike and taking off.  
"Finally finished the research you wanted Bulma," Gohan stretched coming down the steps. He pushed his glasses up his nose as he handed Bulma a packet of papers.  
"Wonderful!" Bulma cheered reading through them.  
Gohan checked his watch then panicked, "I'm LATE!"  
"Huh?" Bulma looked at him.  
"Gotta go," Gohan kissed Bulma on the forehead after running in the kitchen to get his lunch. Then he ran out the door and took to the air.  
Bulma giggled and then turned to the empty house wondering where Goku had gone.  
  
"THAT'S IT!" Yamcha stomped down the spiral staircase of the mansion he shared with Chi-chi.  
"Where are you going?!" Chi-chi looked over the rail and chased after Yamcha, "You don't walk out on ME! I walk out on YOU!"  
"Whatever, I'm tired of your bitching," Yamcha swung the door open and stomped out of the mansion, "I'm going back home and gonna beg for Bulma's forgiveness."  
"Like she'll ever forgive you for what you've done!" Chi-chi snapped standing at the stairwell in her long black silky robe.  
"I could at least try," Yamcha hissed not looking back, "maybe then I could get this weight of my heart for betraying her."  
"I was afraid this day would come," Chi-chi pulled a gun from the pocket of her robe, "I can't let you go Yamcha, cus if you go back you'll tell her where I am. Then Goku will find out and I'll have to leave this place--which I don't plan on doing because I like it here."  
Yamcha heard her ready her gun and stopped, "Do you really think a weapon could kill me chi-chi?! Are you really THAT stupid?!"  
Chi-chi shot him through the back and he dropped to his knees, doubled over in pain. She walked over to him and put in two more bullets, "No, but I know what can kill you."  
Yamcha winced in pain as he looked up at Chi-chi, turning so that he was on his back.  
"You never stopped caring for that girl did you Yamcha?" Chi-chi finished filling her gun.  
"No," Yamcha wheezed as his eyes widened, "you leave Bulma alone! You hear me you bitch!"  
Chi-chi shot him in the stomach to shut him up, "after her I'll take Goku out...I'm sure not even you boys can withstand a shot to the head."  
Yamcha stared at her in fear.  
"Then the boys," Chi-chi sneered.  
"Thos are YOUR kids!" Yamcha shouted.  
Chi-chi shrugged and started off, "I'm feeling trigger happy."  
Yamcha watched as Chi-chi jumped into black convertible and took off.  
"I have to stop her," he rasped before coughing up blood. He wiped his mouth and thought, but first I need to get help.  
  
"Where's Goku, Pwar?" Bulma asked as Pwar work on the machinery in the factory.  
Pwar took off her goggles and turned to Bulma, "I think he's checking on the sales in the office."  
"Thanks Pwar," Bulma smiled and started to leave.  
"Wait, Bulma!" Pwar called, "Don't forget our promise!"  
"Huh?" Bulma turned to her.  
"You said once Capsule is up and running again you'd take a vaca and travel the world with me again, just the two of us--remember? Well Capsule's up and running!"  
Bulma grinned, "I remember! In fact we leave for Egypt next week."  
"Alright!" Pwar cheered and got back to work.  
Now to find Goku, Bulma wandered off into one of the offices. There she found Goku working on one of the computers.  
"Now what are you up to?" Bulma hugged him from behind.  
"Look at those sales!" Goku exclaimed, "Goten's idea for sir skates was a real hit!"  
Bulma giggled, "I never thought I'd see the day Goku became a business man."  
Goku laughed and turned around pulling Bulma on his lap, "so what do I owe the pleasure?"  
"Everyone left and I was just wondering where you were," Bulma drew circles on his chest.  
"Well, ya found me!" Goku smiled, "But I really need to finish checking on these sales..."  
"Goku," Bulma began sadly.  
"Yeah?"  
"I feel as though you've been avoiding me lately," Bulma looked into Goku's eyes.  
"Avoiding...you?" Goku trailed.  
Bulma nodded.  
Goku sighed and dug in his pocket, "I haven't been avoiding you Bulma."  
"But it feels like it," Bulma complained childishly.  
"I've been thinking that's all," Goku took out a ring box.  
Bulma fell silent as Goku opened the box revealing a silver engagement ring with a diamond in the middle beautifully cut and detailed as a rose and two marvelously detailed jade leaves on either side.  
"Goku," she gasped.  
"Once again however," Goku stated aggravated, "that bitch has screwed me over."  
Bulma looked into Goku's eyes sadly, "you're still married to Chi-chi."  
Goku nodded gravely.  
Bulma suddenly smiled and hugged Goku, "it's the thought that counts Goku."  
"Yes," Goku took out the ring and slid it on Bulma's ring finger once she let him go, "and that's why someday I promise we WILL get married...that is if you--"  
"Any day, of any week, of any month, of any year," Bulma grinned wrapping her arms around Goku's neck and kissing him.  
  
That night, Bulma began to hum her favorite song "I Will Survive" as she parked her air car in the garage. She got out and took her groceries from the back of the car. She walked up the steps to Capsule Corp. unlocked the door and walked into her house as she would any other day, but as she closed and locked her door an oddly familiar voice spoke to her.  
She dropped her keys and turned around wide-eyed, when she saw the owner of that voice--that phantom from her past she dropped her bags and screamed. 


	14. Chapter 12::Dead

Chapter 12  
"DEAD"  
  
"Shush!" Yamcha ran over and covered Bulma's mouth in a panic.  
She glared at him and kneed him in the stomach--hard.  
"Ah, SHIT!" Yamcha fumbled backwards holding his stomach, "I was SHOT there god dammit!"  
"I couldn't care less," Bulma tried to unlock the door to get away, but her nerves wouldn't let her.  
Yamcha gritted his teeth and grabbed Bulma around the waist dragging her to the living room. He threw her on to the couch and locked the door.  
"Why are you doing this?!" Bulma cried, "Why can't you leave me ALONE?!"  
"I can't do that Bulma," Yamcha paced and stopped to look at a picture of Bulma and the Son family, taken a week after their breakfast. He pick it up, "Chi-chi's gonna try and kill you."  
"You mean your little playmate?" Bulma crossed her arms.  
"Shut up," Yamcha snarled, "I want nothing to do with her! Not anymore..."  
"Oh so now I'm the back-up plan right?!" She shouted standing up, "And you've got this lame brain idea that if you come crawling back saying that you're here to protect me from the big bad bitch I'll take you in!"  
Yamcha stared at her wide-eyed, "Bulma...you cursed!"  
"I don't care! I don't care! I don't care!" Bulma flared pulling at her hair, "I want you OUT! OUT of my house and OUT of my life! I do recall telling you that if you left you could never return Yamcha, back then you didn't seem to mind. You were just SO thrilled to be with the iother woman./i"  
"You wanna play this game Bulma? Fine," Yamcha snapped losing his patience, "FINE."  
He picked up the picture and shoved it in Bulma's face, "How long did it take for you to go to Goku? HUH BULMA? How long after I left did it take you to get with him?!"  
"That's not fair," Bulma glared at Yamcha, "you left me alone, shattered and heartbroken. Goku was the only person I could turn to who understood what I was going through!"  
"How long did it take you Bulma?" Yamcha growled.  
Bulma squeezed her eyes shut holding back tears.  
"Exactly," Yamcha glowered at her and started to leave, "but if you don't want my help Bulma, fine. Die for all I care."  
"You don't care," Bulma hissed as he opened the door to the living room.  
"I didn't," he stopped at the door calming down, he turned around with a sorry look in his eye, "but I do now."  
Bulma sniffled.  
"Bulma, I know you can never forgive me for what I did," Yamcha's eyes darkened as he closed the door to the living room again, head hung low, "but please believe me when I say I want to help you now."  
Bulma's lip trembled as she sat on the couch with her back towards Yamcha.  
"Chi-chi is going to kill you, and Goku, and Gohan, and Goten, and if she gets the chance to--Vegeta," Yamcha explained, "she's doing it to get back at me as well as make sure nothing from her past comes back to get her. We need to stop her Bulma, because she won't stop until she succeeds in her mission."  
Bulma wiped her eyes and shook her head turning to Goten, "She can't do it. No one can kill Goku, no human at least..."  
"She can," Yamcha said monotone, "she'll find away...and even if she doesn't," Yamcha took Bulma's hand and looked at the engagement ring sadly, "it seems...eliminating you would be enough to kill him anyway..."  
Bulma let out a shuttered breath and balled up on the couch, "I hate her...I HATE HER! She ruins everything that's good in my life! And now...now she's come to take it away..."  
"We can stop her though Bulma," Yamcha sat beside Bulma and put an arm around Bulma, "we can save you and all that you have now. If you just let me help you."  
Bulma looked at Yamcha.  
"I'm not asking you to trust me, just that you forgive me long enough to let me help." Yamcha whispered.  
Bulma shook her head and stood up, "How could I even think of forgive someone who has hurt me so badly."  
"But Bulma," Yamcha took the picture she had left on the couch, "with your pain came something new, something better than me. You have a family now Bulma...a real one...and you're getting married...something I would never had considered, not after the pain I went through...don't you see Bulma?"  
Bulma turned to him.  
"We weren't meant to be together," Yamcha said, "you and Goku were. Chi-chi and I just got in your way."  
Bulma's lip trembled as she shot her eyes and gave Yamcha her back again, "So what are you saying? This was our destiny?"  
"Maybe," Yamcha replied, "and maybe it was our destiny to stop Chi-chi once and for all."  
  
"Bye Bra!" Goten waved as he put on his helmet and jumped on his air bike.  
"Bye Goten!" Bra waved beaming as he took off.  
As he parked out front of Capsule Corp. and hopped off his bike. As he took off his helmet he felt the cold mouth of a gun on the back of his neck. He raised his hands slowly, "Whatever you want take it."  
"I want nothing more than you life," a voice scuffed.  
"Mom?!" Goten turned around wide-eyed.  
"Thanks for the letter Goten sweetie, it really helped," Chi-chi held up the note he had left her years before, right before pulling the trigger.  
  
Goku landed in front of Capsule Corp. and as soon as he opened the door he bumped right into Yamcha. It took him a minute to realize who this stranger was, but once he did, "iyou/i."  
"Wait, Goku, I can explain..." Yamcha backed up nervously. Goku had fire in his eyes as he clenched his teeth and balled up his fists.  
"Goku stop!" Bulma hugged Goku's arm.  
Goku looked at her confused.  
"He's come to warn us," Bulma calmed Goku down.  
"About what?" Goku shot a scowl at Yamcha, but before anyone could answer his question a gunshot was heard.  
"Shit no!" Yamcha pushed Goku out the way and ran outside. Bulma and Goku exchanged glances right before following him.  
"GOTEN!" Bulma screamed running to Goten. Goku was already holding the boy in his arms.  
Blood was pouring out of Goten's mouth as he held a wound in his chest.  
"Goten, what happened?" Goku demanded, his eyes stinging as he watched his son begin to cry.  
"This wasn't supposed to happen," Goten cried, "she wasn't..." he coughed up blood, "she wasn't supposed to be like this!"  
"Chi-chi," Yamcha winced looking around for the culprit.  
A lump formed in Goku's throat as he watched his son's life slowly slip away.  
"I'm sorry Dad," Goten sobbed miserably, "I'm sorry for writing that stupid letter...I'm sorry for all the times I said I hated you...I never hated you Dad, you were always there for me when I--"  
"Shh," Goku hushed his son and held him close, "don't speak."  
"I'll call an ambulance," Bulma stood up.  
"No," Goku's eyes darkened, "by the time they get here it will be too late."  
Goten shuttered in Goku's arms.  
"But Goku..." Bulma couldn't finish she was so choked up with tears.  
"No Bulma, don't get our hopes up," Goku held his son tighter.  
Bulma cried bitterly.  
Yamcha shoved his hands in his pockets ashamed that he couldn't have stopped this from happening. Then his darkened eyes lit up as he pulled a small brown pouch from his pocket, "HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOTTEN?!"  
Goku looked at Yamcha curiously.  
"Kurin gave me these," Yamcha kneeled beside Goku and his son as he pulled a bean out of the pouch, "to heal my bullet wounds."  
"Zinzo beans!" Goku exclaimed snatching the bean and popping it in Goten's mouth.  
Goten chewed, swallowed, and opened his eyes revitalized. He sat up and gave Yamcha a smile of gratitude.  
"Oh Goten!" Bulma squeezed Goten tight, "I thought we had lost you!"  
Goku stood up overcome with a new fear, "Bulma...did Gohan come home yet?"  
"No," Bulma looked up at Goku caressing Goten's head.  
"Did he call?" Goku's eyes narrowed.  
Bulma slowly caught on, "...no."  
Goku, overcome with rage took to the air, he stopped turning to Yamcha, "You watch them, you hear me? If either one of them if hurt when I get back I'll kill you--I will literally kill you."  
"Oh I believe it," Yamcha rounded Bulma and Goten up and got them inside.  
"No Dad!" Goten shouted, "I wanna come too!"  
"You stay here Goten, I need you to help Yamcha," Goku said and flew off.  
Once the coast was clear Chi-chi stepped out of the shadows with a malicious grin on her face, "Dear sweet Yamcha, seems you pose more of a threat then I imagined. No matter. Goku's still too late to save his," she made a face as she spat the word, "ioldest./i"  
  
Goku hovered over the Sataan Mansion where Gohan would go after classes to visit Videl. His heart wrenched as he saw a body lying limp on the ground below, another sitting beside it, mourning. Only he found the victims weren't as he expected.  
Goku landed as Gohan sat beside Videl's cold limp body. He didn't turn around, but he knew Goku was behind him, "It should've been ME. Why does she always have to be so damn courageous? I could've took the bullet, I'm strong enough, but she had to get in my way..."  
"I'm sorry Gohan," Goku kneeled beside his son, "we'll get her back I promise."  
"It just hurts so much," Gohan closed his eyes trying the best he could to hold back the tears, but they came anyway, "I love her so much...I wanted to go after the guy, but I couldn't leave her behind...I couldn't just leave her to die! I kept telling her I'd get help, I'd get her to a hospital, but she wouldn't let me. She just wanted me to stay here, and hold her, and say that I love her. So that's what I did, right until I felt her last breath."  
"We'll get her back," Goku held his son's shoulder reassuringly.  
Gohan swallowed the lump in his throat and turned to his father, "I just want to know who did this, and WHY?"  
"I think it's Chi-chi," Goku looked out on the street as if she were there watching them, "she's come back to destroy us Gohan."  
Gohan shook his head angrily, uncontrollable tears streaming from his eyes, "why is she doing this?! Hasn't she done enough already?!" he rubbed his eyes, "God damn! I'm crying like a frikkin girl!"  
"It's okay son," Goku patted Gohan on the back and looked at the Satan Mansion, "I'll take it Hercule isn't home."  
"Is he ever? Damn drunk," Gohan muttered.  
"Well, even Hercule doesn't deserve to find his dead daughter on the lawn," Goku stood up looking down at Videl's body, "we'll uhm...take her home and put her in one of the rooms until we can get the dragonballs and wish her back."  
Gohan looked at his dad freaked out, "DAD!"  
"Listen Gohan," Goku began, "we can't let them bury her! Then it would be a wasted wish cus she'll suffocate underground! And we don't wanna blow up her body do we?"  
"No..." Gohan trailed, "but Dad!"  
"But Dad?" Goku started, "since when was my man But? Now pick up your dead girlfriend and let's go."  
"Kami Dad," Gohan hoisted Videl on his back, "you sure know how to ruin a dramatic moment."  
"Dramatic moment?! What does this look like to you?! A god-damn soap opera fanfic?!" Goku shouted, "Va-ma-nos!"  
Goku flew into the air as Gohan followed him, "since when do you know Spanish?!"  
  
**NOTE** Yes, yes, bad humour I know...I just couldn't help myself...And since when did this become an action fic (as far as this goes in action)? Well, I'm ending it soon, and this is how my original ending was...well kinda...I felt that since I changed almost everything else in this story (except for Vegeta at McDonald's) I might as well keep the ending. Well most of it...R&R, your opinions mean so much to me! 


	15. Chapter 13:No Fighting In School

Chapter 13   
"NO FIGHTING IN SCHOOL"  
  
Gohan pulled a comforter over Videl's cold dead body after he laid her down in one of the bedrooms. He looked at her still face in sadness as he pushed back her hair.  
We will get you back Videl, Gohan closed the curtains and left the room taking one moment to look at her, before closing the door, I promise.  
  
Bulma sat in the living room, nerve-wrecked after seeing Videl dead. It was only when she saw that young girl when she realized that could be her. She wasn't like Goku, if she got shot that would be it. Even if the gang did get the dragonballs she still didn't want to die.  
Goku put a hand on her shoulder and she looked up to an encouraging smile, "It's going to be ok Bulma, I'm not going to let her hurt you."  
"Yeah, me neither," Yamcha put in as he sat across the table from Bulma.  
Goku scowled at him, "And you."  
Yamcha grinned nervously, "Yes?"  
"How are we so sure you aren't in on this with Chi-chi?" Goku glowered at Yamcha as he paced around him, "You could just be pretending to be on our side, to gain our trust. Then, when we least expect it--" he slammed his fist on the table, making Bulma and Yamcha jump, "--you take us out."  
"No I swear!" Yamcha defended himself nervously.  
"Yes well," Goku's eyes grew narrower, "I WILL be watching you."  
  
Gohan sat next to his little brother as Goten wrote in his journal.  
Goten stopped and hesitated in saying, "I'm...I'm sorry about Videl."  
"It's not your fault," Gohan rested his eyes, hoping that he might wake up and find this to be just some weird nightmare.  
"In a way," Goten's eyes darkened as he slammed his book shut, "it kind of is..."  
"Huh?" Gohan opened one eye curiously, to look at Goten.  
"When I was..." Goten started, and then bit his bottom lip, "when we first came here, I wrote a letter to Ma--that iwoman/i stating where we were...it's all my fault Gohan...if I never did that she wouldn't have ever known we were here."  
"Don't blame yourself Goten," Gohan replied, "she would've came here anyway."  
"Even so," Goten paused, "she wouldn't have expected us to be here, and then we could've taken her out easily."  
"It's best not to beat yourself up for something you can't control Goten," Gohan said nonchalantly, "especially not now when you need to alert all your senses to what's going on around you."  
Goten looked at Gohan then out the window, "I guess you're right..."  
  
"Why did you leave me Yamcha?" Bulma whispered after Goku went outside to look around the premises.  
"C'mon Bulma," Yamcha tipped his empty cup beck and forth, "don't do this.  
"It's a simple question Yamcha."  
"I don't know," Yamcha answered quickly.  
"Yes you do," Bulma persisted, "you just don't want to tell me."  
"I was afraid," Yamcha answered.  
"Oh what?" Bulma tilted her head puzzled.  
He looked at her, "I was afraid that you and I would never progress in our relationship or break it up. I wanted a change, and after meeting Chi-chi after Gohan's birthday--ya know when--" Bulma nodded, "well I thought she could help me get that. One thing led to another--and I guess I just wasn't thinking straight..."  
"Wait a minute," Bulma stopped him, with an agitated look on her face, "you were seeing her for THAT LONG?"  
"Uhm..." Yamcha blinked rapidly, and then stood up fast nearly knocking over his chair, "I think I should go help Goku, it's a big place..."  
Bulma gripped her coffee cup, "but that was YEARS before you left..."  
"Yep, I think I should go help," Yamcha cautiously backed out of the kitchen.  
"You son of a dollar prostitute!" Bulma threw her mug at Yamcha. He ducked and then turned to run, but once again bumped into Goku.  
Goku glared at him, "What did you do now?!"  
"Nothing! I did nothing!" Yamcha stumbled backwards to get away from Goku.  
"That was over eight years Yamcha!" Bulma shouted, refusing to get off the subject.  
"What was over eight years?" Goku blinked.  
"His affair with Chi-chi before they finally left," Bulma snapped.  
Goku blinked stunned then got really mad as he grabbed Yamcha around the throat and lifted him up, "WHAT?!"  
"Can't we just move on with our lives?" Yamcha choked and gagged at the same time.  
Goku winced as he looked him in the eye, "You're just lucky Goten can go Super Sayian, cus if I found out he was your doing, you'd be pissing like a woman for the rest of your life."  
"Eh heh," Yamcha half smiled uneasily as Goku put him down.  
"Anyway," Goku looked to Bulma, "I didn't find anything, I think we should all stay in the living room tonight. I'll take post, then Yamcha, then Gohan if this moron can't stay up long enough."  
"Don't do that to Gohan, he's been through so much," Bulma said, "I'll do it."  
Goku looked at her uneasily, "I really think Gohan should do it."  
"Why because I'm a girl, Goku?" Bulma scowled.  
"No, because you fight like one," Goku answered.  
Bulma gritted her teeth annoyed, "I'm taking his place Goku, Yamcha you wake me up when you get tired."  
"You do that and I'll slit your worthless throat," Goku glared at Yamcha.  
"Uhm..."Yamcha looked at Bulma, "sorry Bulma his argument speaks to me more."  
"Yeah well," Bulma grabbed a butcher knife, "if violence is how I need to get stuff done around here..."  
"Bulma..." Yamcha trail nervously.  
"Yamcha," Bulma waved the butcher knife in his face threateningly, "if you wake Gohan instead of me I'll chop off your you-know-what."  
Yamcha lost his breathe even thinking about that.  
"She puts up a good argument too," he wheezed.  
"Fine," Goku snatched the knife from Bulma and put it away, "you can take Gohan's post."  
Bulma smiled proudly, "I better get some sleep then."  
When she left Goku grabbed Yamcha by the collar, but before he could say anything, Yamcha sighed and said, "yes, yes I know, wake Gohan."  
  
"You guys!" Bulma complained the next morning to the groggy Goku and Yamcha who sat at the kitchen table falling asleep in their coffee, "You LIED!"  
"Need...coffee..." Yamcha poured sugar in his coffee right before passing out.  
Goku had to fight from nodding off, "chill Bulma. Yamcha stayed up the whole night to keep us both happy."  
"Oh," Bulma blinked, then looked at Goku, "then why are you so tired?"  
"I stayed up too," Goku yawned, "Yamcha is incompetent, knowing that made it impossible for me to sleep."  
"Well today I get first look out," Bulma said.  
"No you can't!" Goku was wide-awake suddenly.  
"It wasn't a question, it was a statement."  
"Fine," Goku muttered, "we'll share."  
Bulma rolled her eyes, "fine."  
Goten walked in half dressed for school, "Am I going to school today?"  
"No, I guess not," Bulma patted his head, "unless Goku says otherwise."  
"Go," Goku said simply.  
"Huh?" Goten's eyes widened shocked.  
"Chi-chi won't be expecting you to go. You'll be safe there."  
"Awwww man," Goten kicked the ground.  
"In fact I'll take you now," Goku stood up.  
"Wait! I'm not ready!" Goten ran out.  
"Do you really think he'll be safer there?" Bulma looked at Goku.  
"If Chi-chi's watching the house and I take Goten to school using instant transmission, then she'll never knew he left," Goku planned.  
"Instant transmission?" Bulma tilted her head.  
"Oh, it's this new technique I made that allows me to move at the speed of light to any destination I choose," Goku explained.  
"Does it work?"  
"I still have to practice, but yeah it works, I dunno how well it's gonna go with two of us though," Goku replied, "It's worth a try."  
Bulma nodded, "yeah. What about Gohan?"  
"No," Goku answered shortly, "Now that Videl is gone questions are going to come up and everyone is going to point fingers at him for her disappearance. It's better if they're both gone and people think they ran away or something."  
"How is that better?"  
"It's better because that way my son won't be tried for murder."  
"Ready," Goten ran in.  
"Stay away from the windows Goten," Goku advised, he looked at Bulma and she closed the window shutters.  
"What's with all the drama?" Goten looked at his dad.  
"Just in case Chi-chi's watching," Goku put his hand on Goten's shoulder and his other index and middle finger to his forehead, "let's hit it kid."  
"Uhm...right," Goten replied uneasily and right before Bulma's eyes they disappeared.  
"Cool," she whispered, as soon as the word left her mouth, Goku returned.  
He smiled happily, "Hey! It worked!"  
"Wow," Bulma stared wide-eyed, "that was...SO fast!"  
"Told ya," Goku smiled.  
  
Goten stood at the door of his school waiting for his Dad to come and pick him up.  
"Oh Goten, there you are," one of his teachers came over to him, "your aunt called and wanted to know if you had come in today. I think she's coming to pick you up."  
"My...aunt?" Goten blinked, looking at his teacher.  
"Uh huh, she called me from her cell phone," the teacher dug in her pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper, "she forgot to leave her number, so I took it from the school's caller id. You can use the phone in the office to see if she's picking you up."  
"But...you don't understand," Goten took the paper, "I don't HAVE an aunt."  
His teacher looked at her watch and then shrugged as she started down the hall, "that's what she said. I have to go now Goten, see you tomorrow."  
"See ya," Goten trailed looking at the number. He had never seen it before...it had to be. It suddenly dawned on him; he looked out the glass door nervously then ducked out of view. It was Chi-chi, it had to be, but she wouldn't kill him in a school--would she? Well, she'd have to find him first, Goten thought as he ran down the hall and looked for a place to hide. As he ran down one of the halls he bumped right into his teacher.  
"Oh Goten! Good we found you!" his teacher smiled.  
"We?" Goten rubbed his head as he looked at her.  
"Look at who I found," his teacher smiled as Chi-chi stepped to the side from behind her.  
Goten's eyes grew wide with fear as he began to shout, "she's gonna kill me, she's gonna kill me!"  
"Oh Goten," Chi-chi hugged him and caressed his cheek, "I know you're upset about that low quiz grade in Math, but I would never kill you for ithat/i. "  
"I swear!" Goten pushed Chi-chi off of him, "I'm not kidding! She has a gun and she's going to kill me!"  
"Goten!" Chi-chi scolded hurt, "how could you say such things!?"  
His teacher scowled at him berating, "yes Goten, that is such a cruel thing to say!"  
"But...but..." Goten stammered.  
His teacher waved her hand strictly as if to say enough and he went silent, "now you apologize to your aunt."  
Goten stared at his teacher wide-eyed in disbelief.  
"Do it!" his teacher snapped.  
He turned to Chi-chi, at her fake hurt expression and hacked up a big wade of spit right in her face.  
Chi-chi screamed as his teacher yelled at him. Goten took this time to run. Once again he smashed into someone and flew backwards on to the ground.  
"Trunks!" He looked up and exclaimed with relief. Suddenly having Trunks be left back felt heaven sent.  
"You got detention too huh?" Trunks helped him up, "Musta been in the other room."  
"Uhh no," Goten looked back as he heard heels stomp in their direction, "can I get a ride home?"  
"Sure," Trunks replied as Goten rushed him down the hall, "what's the rush?"  
"I need to get home...now," Goten opened the door that led outside as Chi-chi and his teacher turned the corner.  
"You get back here right now young man!" Chi-chi hissed as Goten pushed Trunks out of the door.  
"HEY!" Trunks stood his ground, "Isn't that your moms Goten?"  
"NO!" Goten pushed Trunks out and dragged him down the steps.  
"Oh...YES IT IS!" Trunks exclaimed as they got to the bottom.  
Goku appeared in front of them scratching the back of his head, "Sorry I'm late Goten, I overslept and--" he saw the expression on Goten's face, "what happened?"  
Chi-chi knocked down the glass door of the school gritting her teeth.  
"Oh my god!" Goten's teacher exclaimed looking at the shattered glass.  
"Enough games!" Chi-chi pulled out a handgun from the inside of her shirt and began shooting. Goku knocked Goten and Trunks to the ground as he ducked himself. The bullets hit Trunks' black motorcycle and he jumped up in wide-eyed horror.  
"YOU BITCH!" He yelled at her, "Do you have ANY idea what Vegeta's gonna do to me when he gets back and sees what happened to his bike!?! He's gonna kill me that's what!"  
Chi-chi gritted her teeth agitated and started to shoot at Trunks.  
Before the bullets could hit, Goku grabbed Trunks and Goten and teleported them to Capsule Corp.  
"You moron!" Goten yelled at Trunks once they were there, "Don't you know how dangerous it is to yell at a crazy woman with a gun!?"  
"I'm sorry," Trunks looked down then added angrily, "but I've been taken care of that baby for years--not a scratch until that bitch came along and ruined."  
Pwar flew in blinking, "What's going on?"  
"If she weren't a chick I'd teach her something!" Trunks snapped not hearing Pwar.  
"Huh? Trunks! You're MAD!" Pwar exclaimed, "Geez...I locked myself in that boiler room longer than I thought..."  
"What's going on in here?" Bulma came in, followed by Gohan, "Trunks...what are you doing here?"  
"You guys sort this out, I'm goin' to bed," Pwar flew upstairs.  
"Have a good catnap Pwar," Gohan said and then looked back at Goku, Goten and Trunks.  
"So what happened?" Bulma asked right before Pwar flew down the steps screaming, tears pouring from her eyes as she hugged Bulma, "What's wrong Pwar?!"  
"There's a dead girl in my bed!" Pwar sobbed. 


	16. Chapter 14::Retaliate

Chapter 14  
"RETALIATE"  
  
"...And then Dad came and then...and then..." Goten stammered.  
"Then she messed up Vegeta's motorcycle by shooting bullets threw it!" Trunks cut in and then shook his head worried, "when he gets back he's gonna put bullets throw ME!"  
"Chi-chi's a bloody murderer!" Pwar exclaimed, then crossed her arms, "I never did like that cow."  
Everyone began talking at once.  
"Enough!" Bulma slammed her fist on the table and then rubbed her temples, "This is giving me a migraine."  
"Sorry," everyone mumbled.  
Goku suddenly glared at Yamcha, "You know Yamcha, she was pretty strong. You didn't happen to teach her anything all those years, did you?"  
"Well erm..." Yamcha gulped.  
Goku grabbed him by the neck and glared at him, "did you?!"  
"Yeah..." Yamcha said nervously, "...just a little..."  
"How much?" Goku winced choking Yamcha.  
"Goku!" Bulma exclaimed, "Let him go!"  
"Is she stronger than you now Yamcha?" Goku snarled, "She is, isn't she?"  
Yamcha swallowed again and then nodded uneasily.  
"Dammit," Goku let go of Yamcha, "this may be a little harder than I imagined."  
"I don't see why we can't just kill her and get it over with," Gohan crossed his arms.  
"Because," Goku looked down, "she's still your mother."  
"Hmph," Gohan turned away, "I still don't see why would shouldn't just take her out! We're ten times stronger than her! We're acting like pussies I tell you!"  
"Now Gohan," Bulma tried to calm him down.  
"No Bulma, he's right. We should've been able to end this when we first heard." Goku stood up, "We end this tonight!"  
  
"I wish you hadn't come," Goku barked as Bulma sat beside him on a park bench. Yamcha, Gohan, and Goten were all sitting nearby them.  
"And why not?" Bulma glowered at him, even though it would be near impossible for him to see her facial expression in the dark.  
Goku's hand suddenly shot behind Bulma's head as he grabbed something. He opened his tightened fist to show her a bullet, "That's why."  
Bulma gulped.  
Goku stood up and winced as he looked in the direction the bullet came from. Something shifted in the darkness and Gohan went at it. It then began to flee.  
Goku appeared in front of it and it smashed right into his concrete body, falling to the ground.  
"Damn you Goku!" a voice hissed from the suspect, it was Chi-chi.  
Goku picked her up by the collar and glared at her.  
"What are you staring at!?" She snapped.  
"I'm trying to find any trace of a woman," Goku replied, "any explanation as to why I would even have liked you before."  
Chi-chi gritted her teeth and shot Goku in the chest with her gun.  
Goku clenched his teeth in pain, then a smirk formulated, "you're going to have to do better than that Chi-chi, if you really want to kill me."  
"Yeah I know," Chi-chi fired up a quick ki blast and blasted Goku in the face. Goku stammered backwards temporary blinded as he let Chi-chi go.  
"Dad!" Gohan and Goten yelled together and ran towards him.  
"I don't think so," Chi-chi shot them both.  
Gohan hit the ground holding his chest in pain, but Goten just clamped a hand over his arm and continued to run at her.  
"Why won't you die?!" Chi-chi snarled blasting Goten back.  
Bulma's lip trembled as she watched then she looked at Yamcha planted in one spot, white as a ghost. She picked up a rock and beamed him in the head, "Don't just stand there you coward! Help them!"  
Yamcha rubbed his head and then watched as Chi-chi began to levitate powering up to outrageous lengths, her aura glowing a radioactive red.  
"Sure I'll help," Yamcha backed up, "I'll help myself."  
With that he ran off out of the park.  
"You coward!" Bulma shouted as she stood up clenching her fists. She then mumbled, "C'mon, did I seriously think he'd stick around long enough to do something."  
"And you," Chi-chi suddenly growled, Bulma immediately knew that she was the one being talked to. She turned to face Chi-chi.  
"You think I ruined your life?! I destroyed your family," Chi-chi scowled at Bulma full of hatred, "Well you destroyed mine first!"  
"What are you talking about," Bulma looked at her.  
"It was ALWAYS about you," Chi-chi landed and stomped towards Bulma, "Bulma, Bulma, Bulma, Goku drove me insane with all his dribble about you! I wanted to start a real life; I was tired of being this heartless bitch! But because of YOU that would never happen!" She stopped in front of Bulma, "I destroyed your life? Well you destroyed my dreams of having a real life."  
Bulma blinked dumbfounded at both the things Chi-chi was saying, and the sincerity in her voice. "Chi-chi...I..."  
"SHUT UP!" Chi-chi shouted slamming Bulma against a tree with her power alone, "I refuse to listen! Besides," a devious grin appeared on Chi-chi's face as she generated a large ki blast in her hands, "you should savoir your last few moments, everyone deserves to die happy, even YOU."  
Bulma swallowed nervously as she tried to come up with a plan. Suddenly, Goten ran at Chi-chi and rammed her in the side. Chi-chi was caught off guard, so she fell to the ground, the ki blast evaporating almost immediately.  
"You little brat," Chi-chi snarled as she got up and dusted herself off, she quickly grabbed Goten around the neck and lifted him off the ground. Goten grabbed her hand gagging, trying to pull away.  
"STOP IT!" Bulma grabbed Chi-chi's arm and tried desperately to save Goten.  
"Leave me ALONE!" Chi-chi blasted Bulma back into the tree right before snapping Goten's neck.  
Goten's struggling body went still, as his arms fell and his head rolled to the side.  
"One down," Chi-chi dropped her dead son, "three to go."  
Bulma kneeled beside Goten, tears pouring from her eyes, "GOTEN!"  
Goku finally got his eyesight back and looked over to where he heard Bulma cry out. It was hard to make out what was going on in the darkness, but from Bulma's crying he quickly figured it out.  
"NO!" He yelled and ran towards them, right before tripping over Gohan's body, "GOHAN!"  
Bulma looked up at Chi-chi, she abhorred that woman at that moment, her lip trembled with rage as she flared, "Do you have any idea how much this boy loved you?! DO YOU?!"  
Chi-chi remained in nonchalant silence.  
"He hated me at first," Bulma thought back to the beginning as she held Goten, "and even when he didn't, he would never call me Mom. He believed that you'd come back and he didn't want to hurt you by calling someone else mom."  
Chi-chi continued to stay silent.  
"He knew you had abandoned him, but still," Bulma rubbed her eyes unable to go on.  
"He was just a stupid boy," Chi-chi snapped, "stop crying you pathetic excuse for a woman."  
Bulma stared at Chi-chi in utter shock, "how...how COULD you?"  
Goku and Gohan came over. Once Goku saw Goten lying lifeless on the floor he went Super Saiyan, unable to hold back his rage.  
"You..." her clenched his teeth, eyes darkened.  
"GOTEN!" Gohan exclaimed running to his brother once he realized what had happened, he shook his brother desperately, "Get up...get up...please Goten...I-" he couldn't help but cry, "I don't wanna lose you too!"  
"So why don't you join him," Chi-chi sneered shooting Gohan through the heart with an energy blast.  
Gohan's eyes widened lifelessly as she fell backwards.  
"Noooo!" Bulma screamed.  
"YOU FUCKING BITCH!" Goku yelled at the top of his lungs, part of him wanted to hold him back, it was wrong to hit women. The other part of him wanted to kill her, shred her to pieces--this side was much bigger.  
His power was so great his aura began to emit electric charges.  
Chi-chi smirked, "I was hoping I'd be able to take you out before it came to this Goku."  
Goku gritted his teeth and shot a ki blast at Chi-chi, to his surprise she stepped aside and dodged it.  
"Tsk, tsk," she shook her finger at him mockingly, "you can do better than that Goku."  
Goku growled and went at Chi-chi throwing random kicks and punches, Chi-chi dodged everyone.  
"It isn't nice to hit a lady," Chi-chi smirked and Goku finally landed a punch in her stomach. Her eyes popped out as she dropped to the ground holding her stomach.  
"I don't see a lady," Goku looked down at her with merciless eyes, "just a monster."  
He prepared to kill her, but Bulma stopped him, "Please Goku! Don't! Don't kill her please Goku!"  
"I have to Bulma," Goku snarled as Chi-chi looked at him helplessly.  
"No you don't Goku!" Bulma tried to reason with him, "haven't we seen enough death tonight? Why must another person die, Goku? Why?"  
"Because she's the reason for all our loss," Goku fired up a ki blast, "if you don't eliminate her she will destroy us."  
Bulma shook her head and hugged Goku's arm trying to stop him, "Please Goku! You aren't yourself! Stop Goku, PLEASE!"  
Goku ignored Bulma's pleas and got ready to strike.  
That's when a voice silenced everything, "Have you learned nothing?" 


	17. Chapter 15::THE END

Chapter 15  
"THE END"  
  
Note: EEEE!!! Thank you SOOOOOOO much you guys!!! Especially Nova S. who has been there for me since like the very beginning! All of you guys (and gals) who reviewed are the reason why this story went on and sadly...coming to an end. Now I'm not very good at endings (since I rarely stick with a story long enough to get one), but here's my shot at it. THANKS AGAIN YOU GUYS!!!  
  
"Vegeta," Goku gasped as his ki blast evaporated.  
"Hello Kakkorot," Vegeta smirked.  
Tears welled in Bulma's eyes as she stared in disbelief, "Ve-Vegeta..."  
"Hello," Vegeta paused for a second then added freely, "Mom."  
Bulma sniffled then ran to Vegeta hugging him tight, "Oh Vegeta! It's been so long! I thought I'd never see you again!"  
Vegeta hugged Bulma back and smiled, "for awhile it seemed like I wasn't going to be coming back."  
"Huh?" Bulma looked at Vegeta.  
"We'll talk later," Vegeta smiled again and walked over to Chi-chi and Goku as he let Bulma go. He looked down at Chi-chi, "Get up, woman."  
Chi-chi blinked as she stared at him.  
"Come on," Vegeta put a hand out, "get up."  
Chi-chi took Vegeta's hand and he helped her up.  
Vegeta looked at Goku with a berating look, "You'd think you'dve learned something from Bulma by now Kakkorot."  
"What are you going on about?" Goku grumbled rudely.  
"Is it me or does it seem history is repeating itself," Vegeta looked around, "because as I was I got a bad case of deja vu."  
Goku rubbed his temples, "You are trying my patience Vegeta."  
"All I'm trying to say is this seems like the predicament I was in and Bulma saved me from. So," Vegeta stood in front of Chi-chi protectively, "I shall do the same for this woman."  
"Look at your feet!" Goku shouted, "Those are my son's corpses Vegeta! My flesh and my blood!"  
Vegeta looked down at Gohan and Goten, "yes I see."  
"With you it was different Vegeta, I had not lost anyone yet, but..." Goku spoke sadly and then faltered.  
"I know Goku," Vegeta nodded, "but I believe that the woman can change, if you just give her a chance to live."  
Goku shook his head, "NO! She must die!"  
Goku took a threatening step towards Chi-chi, but Vegeta stood his ground to protect her.  
"Move it Vegeta," Goku growled, "did you know that she's bent on killing Bulma? That's right, if we don't do something she'll do it to."  
"I'll make sure that doesn't happen," Vegeta said strongly, "if you give her another chance."  
Goku sighed heavily and glared at Chi-chi, "consider yourself lucky, because next time I WILL kill you."  
Suddenly police sirens went off and they all heard running in the distance.  
"Yamcha came through after all," Bulma whispered.  
"Help me bring Gohan and Goten back to Capsule Corp. Vegeta, if the police see them there's going to be trouble," Goku said.  
Vegeta nodded.  
By the time the police got there only Bulma and a stunned Chi-chi remained.  
Yamcha hugged Bulma, "You're still alive! Thank god!"  
"Yeah no thanks to you!" Bulma pushed Yamcha off.  
"Wha-what?" Yamcha blinked, attacking like he had done nothing wrong, "I went and got the cops!"  
"I suppose this is the one huh?" A cop pointed at Chi-chi.  
"Yeah," Bulma and Yamcha replied in unison.  
"Her gun is over there, officer," Bulma pointed to the grass as a policewoman cuffed Chi-chi.  
"I'm still alive...he stuck up for me...no one has ever done that for me before," Chi-chi kept muttering as the police officers lead her out of the park.  
"Was anyone hurt or shot?" A remaining police officer took out a notebook and looked at Bulma.  
"Yes, but they were taken back to Capsule Corp. to be treated," Bulma partially lied.  
"Capsule Cor--hey! You're Bulma Briefs!"  
Bulma slighting smiled, "Uhm...yeah."  
  
Chi-chi was sentenced 10 years in jail for countless cases of embezzlement, robbery, and so on. More years were added for attempted murder and she was also sentenced 12 months of community service. Yamcha was sentenced to 5 years for associating with a criminal. Capsule Corp. bailed them both out after Chi-chi signed the divorce papers and went through therapy.  
  
Videl blinked her eyes open and sat up after she had been wished back. She rubbed her eyes and looked at Gohan lying beside her. He sat up as well and turned to Videl with a groggy look on his face, then his eyes widened.  
"Videl!" He exclaimed before hugging her tightly.  
"Am I...alive?" she looked around her.  
"Kami!" Goten sat up, "My neck is killin' me!"  
"You're alive! You're all alive!" Bulma hugged them all as they stood up.  
"MY boys," Goku smiled as he looked at Gohan and Goten.  
"Well it's nice to see you all again--alive this time," Vegeta smirked.  
"Vegeta?" Gohan blinked in disbelief.  
"You're back!" Goten exclaimed.  
Just then Trunks walked through the gate, as soon as he saw Vegeta he went pale and went right back out.  
"Hey Trunks!" Vegeta called and chased him down, "Long time no see!"  
"Heh, heh, yeah," Trunks turned to Vegeta nervously looking down, "missed ya man, it's been a long time."  
"So how's it been?" Vegeta asked, happy to finally see his old friends again.  
"Well there's something I need to tell you," Trunks backed up and then ran down the block as he yelled, "Your bike is dead!"  
Vegeta's happy expression disappeared as he chased Trunks snarling, "WHAT?!"  
Everyone started laughing and went inside as if nothing had ever happened.  
"So what happened you guys?! You have to tell me everything!" Pwar squealed as they went into the living room. They told her and Videl the story and they both stared blankly, dumbfounded.  
"There's something I need to ask you Videl," Gohan got on one knee in front of her and kissed her hand, it took him forever to summon up enough courage to say the rest, "I don't have a ring, but I do have my love for you."  
"Gohan," Videl gasped.  
"I guess what I'm trying to say is," Gohan looked at Videl, "will you...marry me?"  
Videl rubbed her eyes and practically fell on top of Gohan as she hugged him. She couldn't get out words, but managed to give a nod of approval.  
Goku and Bulma exchanged glances and smiled.  
Vegeta walked in with Trunks laughing.  
"You honestly thought a few bullet marks was damage?" Vegeta punched Trunks playfully in the arm, "C'mon! I could fix that!"  
"Heh," Trunks smirked as Vegeta walked in the living room, then stood out in the hall rubbing his arm furiously in pain.  
"Vegeta, you still haven't told us why you've been away so long," Bulma said as Vegeta sat beside him, "you really have grown a lot."  
Vegeta nodded, "Well, the Saiyans won, limme just start by saying that. Then I was asked to stay and rule Vegeta-sei..." he paused and everyone fell silent.  
"What did you say?" Gohan asked.  
"Over the years feelings I've forgotten returned to me, I remembered what it was like to be a real Saiyan, to feel the adrenaline in battle," Vegeta went off, "and that's why I couldn't stay."  
"Huh?" Everyone blinked looking at him.  
Vegeta's brows furrowed as he looked down trying to pick out the right words, "I killed so many while I was there and all the while I thought of you Bulma," Vegeta looked at Bulma, "and how sad you'd be if you saw me slaughtering so many living beings. I still live for the fight--but I refuse to live to kill and as a Saiyan I will never have any other choice, but to kill. So that's why I decided to come back."  
Bulma sniffled and hugged Vegeta. Finally her family was whole again. Finally she'd have the family she'd always wanted.  
  
"C'mon! C'mon!" Pwar shouted as she flew through the airport with a big hiking bag on her back a year and a half later, "We have to find them!"  
"I'm coming!" Bulma chased after Pwar pulling her rolly bag behind her.  
"Slow down!" Chi-chi adjusted her sunglasses chasing after them with her own rolly bag, "I'm in heels you know!"  
"GOKU!" Pwar squealed tackling Goku.  
"There you are!" Goku exclaimed then called the others, "Hey guys they're over here!"  
Vegeta, Gohan, Goten, Yamcha, Trunks, Bra, and Videl holding the newborn Pan all ran over.  
"What's the big news Mom?" Vegeta asked.  
"Yeah, what's so important that you had to cut your trip so short?" Videl asked rocking Pan as she sensed her about to cry, "You guys have been planning this trip since you got back from your first one!"  
"Well," Bulma smiled at Pwar and then at Chi-chi, she hesitated.  
"C'mon, c'mon tell them!" Chi-chi exclaimed, "I just saw this real cute hottie walk by!"  
"Well Goku," Bulma took Goku's hands and bit her bottom lip, "while in Spain I found out that, I'm pregnant..."  
Everyone stared at her dumbfounded until Goku took her up in his arms and hugged her tight, "Bulma! That's fantastic! I-I can't believe it!"  
"Do you know the sex yet?" Bra asked.  
"Hey!" Goten exclaimed, "I do not need to know about my parents' love life!"  
Everyone stared at him like he was a moron.  
"Well," Bulma started as Goku put her down, "I dunno how reliable gypsy fortunetellers are, but I think it may be a girl."  
"My first daughter!" Goku exclaimed excited.  
"Don't get your hopes up though Goku. If it is a girl, however, I want to name her after Chi," she looked over to where chi-chi was standing and saw no one, "chi...HEY! Where'd she go?!"  
"The psycho's over there," Gohan pointed to Chi-chi flirting with the 'hottie' she saw before. Gohan, Goten, and Videl's relationship had remained neutral since the shooting. They didn't necessarily hate her since she changed, but didn't necessarily like her either--how can you like someone who killed you? Gohan would sometimes refer to her as the psycho or mental case, but in a joking way.  
Bulma looked over insulted, "Maybe I'll just call her Bra."  
"YEAH!" Bra cheered and hugged Goten tight.  
Goten beamed at Bulma, blushing in a perverted sort of way after Bra hugged him, "I think that's a brilliant idea."  
"Pervert," Videl looked at him.  
Everyone laughed as Goku and Bulma smiled at each other again. They had survived and gained more than they could have ever imagined. They had done things and said things that they never thought they'd do or say. They had changed their destiny.  
And to think, it was all because, of a night, two break-ups, and an old song.  
  
  
THE END 


End file.
